London pizza in the late 2010s moved faster than most kitchens could. The big delivery chains owned the doorstep, the aggregator apps owned the phone, and a new wave of fast-casual pizzerias owned the conversation.
Firezza made fresh, stonebaked pizza from restaurants across London, and the pizza was never the problem. The problem was being heard. Firezza was struggling to get its message of quality across and, more worryingly, was at risk of fading into irrelevance in a market that was changing around it.
We started by mapping the market, not the menu. Branded delivery from the big chains was growing steadily, aggregators were giving unbranded kitchens mainstream access, and delivery was growing at 24.6% a year against 6.9% for restaurants. Underground kitchens and pop-ups were chasing the same customers.
Then we got to work on Firezza itself. It had no real brand, just a logo and no guidelines, and what it did have made it look posh and expensive when it wanted to feel young. So we doubled down on what it already had, a good name, a good core and awesome pizza, and built the brand up from there.
We unified Firezza’s identity across menus, posters, photography and film, supported by clear brand guidelines. A seasonal newspaper and interactive menu prototype made ordering part of the experience. A drone-delivery joke became a campaign film, while our Dean Street launch storyboard followed the journey from Soho’s streets to the table.
The work extended beyond communications into the places where people encountered Firezza. We helped shape the Soho flagship and carried the identity across signage, packaging, digital ordering and delivery gear. Bold graphics, appetising photography and a playful voice connected the experience, from spotting a restaurant to opening a pizza box. “Pizza for life” gave that personality a simple, memorable expression.
By July 2016 Firezza was trading from 17 stores across London and Kent. Following its acquisition by PizzaExpress in 2016, we continued developing the brand across digital and physical spaces. We redesigned its website and helped bring the Dean Street restaurant to life, extending the identity through signage, menus, packaging and delivery gear. This next phase carried Firezza’s distinctive personality into a broader customer experience, connecting online ordering, takeaway and dining in.
Outfly, a London brand, marketing and product agency, worked with Firezza across market strategy, rebrand, menus, photography, film, promotions and a website redesign.
Start with the market, not the menu. For Firezza that meant mapping branded delivery, aggregators, fast casual and restaurant delivery, then doubling down on what it already had: a good name, a good core and awesome pizza.
A rebrand and brand guidelines, menus and posters, a newspaper menu and an interactive menu prototype, pizza and event photography, a Dean Street launch film, social promotions and a website redesign.
Firezza was bought by PizzaExpress in February 2016, and Outfly redesigned its website to align with the PizzaExpress brand and platform.
