Glam Doll Donuts

A retro-glam approach to great treats & strong community.

Services

Branding
Illustration
Photography
Creative Direction
Website

Collaborators

Carly Schmalz → Branding, Creative Direction, Design
Colin Schye → Development
Kelsey Lee → Photography

website

glamdolldonuts.com

Summary

Dreamed up in the minds of two lifelong friends, Glam Doll Donuts was a venture to bring some sweetness to the Eat Street neighborhood of Minneapolis. Focusing on wildly adventurous flavors, top-tier coffee, and a throwback atmosphere, Glam Doll wanted to become a destination.

Fleshing out the brand toolkit with playful elements, building a robust and exciting online experience, and letting loose on the brand's tone of voice was all scoped in the level-up of this local bakery.

Pink storefront sign for Glam Doll Donuts with a retro woman sitting on a large pink sprinkled donut.

Phase 01 → Brand Extensions

Illustrated Character

Using the brand direction and logo aesthetic designed by Carly Schmalz, we pulled inspiration from 40’s and 50’s pinup illustrations and the playfulness of mid century patterns to design simplified spot pinup figures posing alongside massive iconic donuts made in the shop.

Hand with flower tattoo holding a plain donut as chocolate syrup pours onto it against a pale yellow background.

Four retro pin-up style women posing with various donuts, each against a colorful abstract background.

Four Glam Doll Donuts business cards with cartoon women and donut designs on pink background.

Powdered donut wrapped in pink Glam Doll Donuts paper on white plate with fork, spoon, and business card.

Assortment of colorful donuts with various frostings, sprinkles, nuts, and toppings on a pink background.

Phase 02 → PHotography

Pristinely Delicous

Product photography needed to be elevated to make these donuts stand out from the competition. The bright, poppy pinup style photos show off the beauty and mouth-watering look of the Glam Doll menu items and give organization to the different varieties served up in the shop.

Pink frosted donut topped with two cherries and white crumbles on a red background.

Small cake topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut, and a cherry on pink background with spilled cream.

Round cruller pastry topped with four swirls of cream and drizzled with chocolate on teal background.

Hand with red nails and tattoo piping white frosting onto a cruller donut against a pink background.

Three hands reach for pastel-colored donuts on a three-tiered stand against a pink background.

Two women showing fists with matching 'GLAM DOLL' tattoos, smiling against a yellow backdrop.

Teresa with blonde hair holding two sprinkled chocolate donuts, Arwyn laughing with teal hair wearing a floral shirt.

Bright café interior with red ceiling, patterned tile floor, tables, chairs, and people working on laptops.

Phase 03 → Website + Ecommerce

Expanding Horizons

After gaining a massive community following, Glam Doll opened a second location in the North East neighborhood of Minneapolis. With a new shop came the need for new merch, redesigned website with online preorders, and a whole lot more brand love to keep up the hype around their fabulous products.

Three colorful enamel pins on denim: red lips with GD, pink donut, and bottle with donut labeled 'Bottles + Donuts'.

Woman wearing a white ringer T-shirt with black trim, text 'Glam Doll Donuts' and red lip print on back.

Coffee cup with pink interior and #glamAF text on saucer beside coffee beans and a black cup with pink lid.

Mobile site showing a blue frosted donut cake with candles and store info for Eat Street Glam Doll in Minneapolis.

Menu of nine cake donuts with names and toppings like vanilla, chocolate, bacon, and peanut butter.

Close-up of espresso pouring from a coffee machine into a glass cup.

Glamorous Praise

"We've worked with Friend & Fort for over 10 years in the development and management of our brand. They’ve supported our brand through web design, illustrations, and logo creation, as well as provided expertise as the brand evolves throughout the years. They have been our one-stop shop for all of our branding needs. We’re grateful to have such a supportive brand management team!"

Teresa Fox & Arwyn Birch
Founders of Glam Doll Donuts

There's more where that came from.

Check out the next project or hop over to our archive gallery for a quick glance at a variety of playful work.

Telestrations

Branding, Illustration, Packaging, Creative Direction