Tara Andrews
Naaman's BBQ
One of the first things you see when driving through Texarkana on I-59 is this billboard for Naaman's Championship BBQ. It has a very simplistic design, with the Naaman's girl on the left, the restaurant name in the center, directions at the bottom and the logo on the right. I remember when they first started fixing up this location, and all that was on location was the giant double-sided Naaman's girl flashing her panties. I definitely did not think this would turn out to be a BBQ joint.
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As someone who used to commute from Atlanta, TX, this sign was a regular occurrence on my route. It got to be so distracting, since (at first) I didn't know what it was about. I ended up having to try their food. I think that the company definitely uses sex appeal to their advantage, with the billboard and the sign (two photos down). It looks like the girl may be putting lipstick on. This now makes sense, because she just got done eating BBQ. When thinking about how this compares with the advertising of Big Jake's BBQ, there seems to be a more adult atmosphere associated with Naaman's compared to the standing pig on the Big Jake's sign, and the family-oriented menu options.
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The sign is also eye-catching because it is sort of monochromatic. Using only red to stand out again the black & white background, surrounded by the natural green scenery, the billboard is reminiscent of an old-fashioned black and white film. I think this really works for the old country folks. However, this restaurant is a bit pricier than Big Jake's BBQ.
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The second image is of the billboard at the entrance to the parking lot of Naaman's Championship BBQ. It has the Naaman's logo, this time in brown and green, and the phone number for the restaurant. From a distance this sign can be seen in tandem with the Naaman's girl sign (shown below) and makes for good advertising for people on the run. They might not have time to stop in and order through the drive thru, but they can snap a photo or have a passenger jot it down to call back when they get home, or even on the way.
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I think the colors are used to minimize distraction from the main sign, and also to mimic the class of the black and white images. There are no bright colors used in the signage, only the muted bold tones and black and white.
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It is kind of odd that the dumpster is up next to the sign, when it would normally be behind buildings, especially restaurants. I think this is because the picnic tables are located behind the building, underneath the shady trees. Since most of the parking lot/driving area is not paved, it gives a minimalist attitude that is not affected too much by this object.
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In comparison with Big Jake's BBQ, this added bit of information increases their market. Big Jake's does not advertise their phone number physically, not even on their catering vans. I think that an older person might make a decision based on the fact that they do not have to search the internet for contact info, when it is right on the road.
The Naaman's Hot Spot sign was the first thing to go up at this location. I do not recall if the bottom two signs were up at the same time, but even if they were, they were too small to read driving by at 65 mph!
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I think the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this sign was that it might be some sort of club. Sounds ridiculous for East Texas, but living on Fort Campbell for the previous four years, it made sense to me. Naaman's really plays up the sex appeal with this display. Just having a panty flasher would probably be overly effective, but they add the term 'hot spot', the phrase 'come getcha some', and also put the BBQ in miniscule letters at the bottom of the sign.
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This is drastically different than the advertising schema for Big Jake's BBQ, which uses family-friendly-esque details, like the pig in overalls. When thinking about the price comparisons, it makes sense that Naaman's is aiming for an older, more mature and fiscally responsible crowd. This is the opposite with Big Jake's, which touts the family/kid menu deals. Naaman's has a small 'family size' section on their menu, but it puts off a more upscale catering vibe than anything.
The front of the building is pretty simple, with the restaurant name in big bold capital letters, and the logo underneath. The Naaman's girl from the billboard is there as well, to indicate that this is the location that the billboard was directing you to find.
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There is also the 'drive thru' sign on the far right of the building. This again appeals to the audience that is in a hurry and needs a quick bite. Big open parking lot, get in, get out, get home. In some cases, get back to work!
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The only other indicator that this is 'better' food than another BBQ joint, is in the logo. It says 'We are... Naaman's, championship BBQ'. This makes me think they have reason to beieve they are better and therefore can charge higher prices. I personally don't like their sauce, but apparently someone gave them a trophy... It doesn't specifically tell you where they won this 'championship' either. I looked at their website and there is no info there. #suspicious
The last image is the satellite view of the Naaman's location on Interstate 59. By viewing this picture, you can really get a sense of how the restaurant is catering to, not only locals that don't want to drive further into the city, but also to long distance drivers, tourists, truckers, and other travelers.
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If you have ever been inside this location, you would understand even more what I mean by this. The inside is split in half, with the larger half being the cooking area, and the much smaller half being the customer side. The customer side does not evoke the feeling of wanting to stay and eat. They have a single table and two chairs. This is most likely for waiting to receive a food order.
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There is a picnic area located behind the restaurant under the shade of the two huge trees. If it weren't always so hot in Texas, people might enjoy some BBQ back there.
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If I wasn't in such a hurry and trying not to look like a creepy weirdo, I would've gotten a picture of the entire front, so you could see what I meant when I said there is absolutely no room to sit and eat inside.
I also wanted to show the satellite view of the Big Jake's BBQ parking lot. It has a much more streamlined look, for us city folks, and much more parking area to accomodate the large seating inside. It is more a a sit-down style restaurant, while still being considered fast food with the drive thru.
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It is odd that while there is less room and less paving, Naaman's seems to pull more upscale clientele, businesses, and other catered events would seem better suited to using Naaman's versus Big Jake's. Though I still think Big Jake's has better sauce.
