The custom magazine that launched a restaurant

We had extremely ambitious goals for this magazine: capture the LA media’s attention, introduce our culture to our new staff and give our new customers in LA a window into what we stand for. ECHO did all that, in record time. A bonus was how seamlessly the ECHO group collaborated with our in-house team. It was fast but fun!
— Britt Innes, Vice-President, Marketing

Challenge

In 2015, premium casual restaurant brand JOEY announced its expansion into the ultra-competitive Los Angeles market with the opening of its 25th location, JOEY Woodland Hills. JOEY doesn’t do anything halfway, so the company wanted to build a premium brand storytelling product that would celebrate its love of great food, drink and hospitality while also celebrating the foodie scene in its new hometown. Ideal solution? A magazine. Except Echo had never produced one before, and JOEY needed delivery in nine weeks.

Solution

We recruited all-star editor Gary Ross, winner of a half-dozen National Magazine Awards, to help provide editorial direction to the project. JOEY’s marketing team (no creative slouches) joined us in an intensive collaboration, pitching ideas back and forth in weekly meetings. This ensured that the project stayed on track and all editorial was infused with JOEY’s brand values.

We packed the issue with addictive writing that celebrated L.A. foodie culture, from an insider’s guide to the city’s busiest farmers’ market to restaurant recommendations from Guns N’ Roses. We also went behind the scenes of the business, shining a light on JOEY’s culture and restaurant philosophy, and even convinced chef Chris Mills to provide readers with delicious try-at-home recipes. Our art team took inspiration from JOEY’s gorgeous photography and built a visually lush design that exploded with colour — and delicious-looking food.

Results

Marketing is one thing. Telling a riveting story is another. As JOEY hit multiple milestones at the end of 2015, including a prime invitation to cook for a third time at the legendary James Beard House in New York, the magazine served as a physical embodiment (and keepsake) of the JOEY core values: passion, quality and hospitality.