Xtraburger

Some letters work harder than others. X marks a spot, signs a name, counts a vote and stands in for whatever cannot quite be described. Xtraburger hands that letter to a burger and puts it to work on all four.

The idea is the X-factor: a burger that cannot be had anywhere else, with something in it that would make people cross town and then struggle to explain why. The name never says what the extra is. That is its strength. It poses a question, and each visit would be the answer.

The logo is a neat piece of wit. The X is built from the burger itself: two halves of a red sesame bun crossed like blades, with a pair of patties and dripping cheese slung across the middle. Beneath it, a white lowercase "xtra" sits over a red "burger", which keeps the loud letter in charge and the noun in support. Black, red and a flash of yellow make a palette closer to a streetwear label than a roadside diner.

The mock-up shop carries the mark onto everything: a black carrier bag, paper cups, wrappers, a red fries carton, sauce pots stamped with a single X, and a neon version glowing on a brick wall. Open a box and the inside of the lid offers the brand's whole philosophy in two words: "GO XTRA".