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Dive Brief:

• Smashburger has named newcomer Understory as its creative agency as part of a larger rebuild of the fast-casual chain known for its smashed burgers, according to a press release. 
• Understory will work to bring more unity and cultural relevance to Smashburger’s marketing, with duties spanning brand and campaign development, digital and social content creation, customer engagement and loyalty. Both companies are based in Denver, Colorado.   
• Smashburger, which is nearly 20 years old and owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation, has been working to bring more consistency to its brand identity while diversifying its menu. Understory will amplify the chain’s presence on digital channels that are crucial to reaching young diners. 

Dive Insight:

Smashburger, in a candid corporate post in March, copped to losing some of its brand focus in recent years, with missteps attributed to “executives who came in and out of the business” without understanding what once made it distinctive. 

In November, it introduced a new logo, color palette and accompanying ad campaign made with agency Karsh Hagan that was meant to project boldness and promote a flavor-forward menu. Other recent moves include making “Belief is in the Bite” Smashburger’s tagline and reorienting the brand’s marketing calendar around quarterly, thematic releases, such as its spice-fueled Scorchin’ lineup. 

Enlisting Understory extends these efforts to bring more consistency and modernization to the nearly 20-year-old chain that lays claim to popularizing the smashed approach to cooking burger patties.

“We’re entering a pivotal chapter for our brand,” said Tom Ryan, Smashburger’s founder, in a press statement. “As we scale, we need a partner who understands not just where we are, but where we’re going. Understory brings a modern, energetic approach to brand building that matches our ambition. Their team immediately understood our vision, and we’re excited to build something powerful together.”

Smashburger has undergone other changes of late, promoting former development chief and president Jim Sullivan to CEO in August. Sullivan is focused on accelerating franchised development of Smashburger locations, including through nontraditional units, following a period of growth struggles. Sullivan got Ryan involved with the business again in a bid at recapturing some of its original mojo. 

Karsh Hagan, another Denver-based independent shop, handled the last campaign for Smashburger. Karsh Hagan merged with Madden Media last fall.

Understory meanwhile is brand new, with Smashburger its first major client. The agency was founded by Darren Allison, a former Karsh Hagan and Madden executive, and operates with a lean staff, according to its LinkedIn page. Allison said in a LinkedIn post that he made the leap to starting his own business after watching the place he loved “slowly collapse.” He later clarified in an email that he was referring to the flame out of Madwell last year.

Understory’s website positions the upstart as “a response to the decaying legacy agency model.” Links to its TikTok and Instagram accounts led to dead pages, though Understory has shared some of its early social work for Smashburger elsewhere.  

Clarification: This story has been updated with additional context around comments from Understory founder Darren Allison. In addition, the links to Understory’s social pages on its website have been fixed following publication.