[design] Winchell's Donuts: Redefining "Anything"

1471. Now, we likey the Winchell's Donuts. It's a character flaw, mayhap; in a city where donut hip has been redefined by our perennial heroes Tres Shannon and company, it's even a little disloyal, perhaps. But we are what we are. And the maple-frosted old-fashioned ... 'scuse me whil I wipe drool off the keyboard ...

Anyhow! The subtext here is "Slogans that Generate Scooby Moments". To wit, the following illo:

As you can see, it was ripped screaming from the side panel of a dozen-box by me in my cold, impassionate quest by my MacGuyver-style Swiss Army knife (It's a Victorinox "Tinker". Seriously. Check it out). Now, I have no arguments at all with the graphic approach. They have, to thier credit, retained the classic logo and type style therein (Souvenir, if you're curious), and have these lovely warm colors (in concert with thier slogan, "Home of the Warm 'n' Fresh Donut".

But this slogan, despite the distressed type (which looks to be a witty combination between a humanist serif and something approximating Futura) just leaves us scratching our heads.

WITH A DONUT IN EACH HAND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Erm? Now, I know Donut, and I know Hand, and I know Anything and I know Possible. Does Winchell's have a different definition of the word possible that nobody else uses (except perhaps maybe Homer Simpson)? I suppose that a altered way of thinking of anything being possible would have to apply:

WITH A DONUT IN EACH HAND, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. AND BY ANYTHING WE MEAN MOSTLY REDUCED MANUAL DEXTERITY (AT LEAST UNTIL YOU'VE EATEN THEM), TEMPORARILY INCREASED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL BLOOD LEVELS, SURPLUS CALORIES, SOME TIME SPENT ACTUALLY EATING THEM, AND FINDING A WASHROOM BECAUSE THESE DONUTS CAN BE KINDA STICKY.

Oh, hell. I'll just enjoy the donut. But if you wan't to actually do anything that becomes possible with the two donuts, all I ask is that you put them down first. And wash up.

Tags: winchell's donuts, graphic design, slogan, marketing, typography