Bacolodnon Thrives in New York’s Branding and Digital Creative Industry

The success of a restaurant is more than just serving delicious food. While quality dishes are the foundation of a food business, they need to be supported and complemented by a smart marketing design and a well-thought-out branding strategy. In New York City, USA, a Bacolodnon with roots in the Bacolod slow food and organic food scene is making waves– not as a restaurateur but as a branding and creative specialist. Meet Adie Uy.

The Inspiration Behind Adie Uy’s Creative Practice

Adelaide Uy, also known as Adie, grew up in the quaint city of Bacolod, a small city in the Province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. Growing up, she was surrounded by a big family whose many members, including their patriarch, Ramon Uy, Sr., are involved in the slow food and organic food movement, not just in Bacolod City but in the province of Negros Occidental.

“I’m extremely proud of my Filipino heritage. I always keep it close to my heart and let it influence my work,” Adie says.

Being from Bacolod City has helped Adie appreciate details and cultural differences, allowing her to become more effective in regional storytelling. “I always tell people how different each island is in the Philippines—how we each have our own culture and set of codes that make us special and unique.” Her presentations are vibrant and in-depth, always paying homage to the origins of restaurants and dishes.

Adie finished a Bachelor of Science in Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and pursued further studies in Fashion Management at the Parsons School of Design in New York.

Though still in the creative industry, Adie now works mostly on food and restaurant projects and is quite passionate about it. For example, “I’ve always been inspired by lunches and dinners that we would share at the long table in Bacolod. People are always welcome at your table— visitors, friends, even strangers. I use this imagery of “sharing a meal and the principle of generosity” as my main references when I create materials that depict values of being generous, universal, and relatable.”

The Successful Practice in New York

The NYC restaurant scene is extremely susceptible to trends. In this highly competitive and trend-driven market, it has been quite a challenge to help brands stay relevant. “But it is something I truly enjoy,” Adie reveals.

Before she went to the United States, she had worked for Notorious Concepts and Careless Music in Manila, which gave her some experience as a creative in the restaurant industry. Yet she concedes, “Nothing prepares you for being effective towards the New York audience.

“In New York, I worked mostly with food, tableware, and restaurants,” Adie discloses. “I was the brand strategist and creative behind the digital identities of Gohar World, an influential tableware brand in the Manhattan Art scene.” She also handled four restaurants under the iconic Happy Cooking Hospitality, namely Fairfax, Jeffrey’s Grocery, Joseph Leonard, and Sailor. It is worth noting that Sailor has been on the New York Times Top 100 list for the past two years since its inception.

Both companies have been heavily featured on Vogue, GQ, Architectural Digest, Hypebeast, Esquire, the Financial Times, and many other critically acclaimed publications.

What Her Day Looks Like

New York is known as the City that Never Sleeps. Adie’s days are full-packed and her activities vary because of the many different clients she handles.

Coming from Bacolod, her go-to place is the Farmers’ Market at the Union Square, which she tries to visit at least three times a week. “It’s where I find inspiration. It reminds me of my roots back in Bacolod City and kind of brings me closer to nature.”

Aside from her work in the F&B and hospitality industries, Adie has also helped to rebrand drugstore labels and approve marketing materials for L’Oréal USA and Thayers.

But her most memorable work by far is not in the glitzy or the glamorous. “I was at Parsons School of Design in NYC doing my masters in Fashion Management when I was the lead research associate for CADA.”

CADAt is a non-profit organization working to protect the IP and ownership claims of indigenous artisan communities in Mexico. This NGO facilitates the textile process and distribution in local and global markets. It also advocates for fair trade and traditional craftsmanship.

This interest in traditional craftsmanship has greatly influenced Adie’s work at Gohar World, where she focused on highlighting disappearing techniques from the world’s oldest and most iconic ateliers for tableware. One fine example would be the products at Gohar World in collaboration with Lobmeyr from Vienna and Laboratorio Paravicini from Milano.

“I’ve always maintained that the Third World perspective is special, unique, and valuable because it comes from a great deal of suffering and sacrifice historically, and therefore, an inherent desire to overcome it. More than “resilience”, I think Filipinos in any global industry are a cut above the rest because of how beautiful our history is, and how dedicated we are to telling that story,” Adie closes.