ART + DESIGN
GETTING WEIRD WITH MARKETING jon oppold
of a mascot as I could think of…so we’ve built a community around dogs in fun, quirky ways.”
“I’m proud to be a person who’s always creating and finding fun ways to express myself and share my uniqueness with the world…It’s fun and cathartic, and everyone should try it,” said Jon Oppold . The Sioux Falls entrepreneur has made a name for himself in the food and drink industry with Sunny’s Pizzeria , The Orion Pub , and Polar Bites (recently becoming the new owner last month). Not only is he passionate about creating gathering places for the community, but he’s equally as passionate about building strong, unique brands behind them. Oppold started his professional life in corporate marketing and communications and says he began feeling jaded and restless in that setting, itching for more. With a background as a designer, writer, and “creative jack-of-all-trades,” he wanted to step away and put his talents toward his own endeavors. “After over a decade of creating brands, ads, blogs, and campaigns, I wanted the opportunity to build a brand and create marketing that’s silly and fun and uniquely showcases my personality unencumbered by the analysis paralysis and prototypical corporate groupthink,” recalled Oppold. One July afternoon in 2019, he noticed a laundromat building for lease close by to Augustana University that he had his eye on, and swooped in and opened Sunny’s Pizzeria . Oppold’s vision for the Sunny’s brand has always been about “getting weird” in a quirky, approachable, family- friendly way and conveying it’s a neighborhood space. “I’m not Italian, and the food’s not supposed to be authentic or snooty—we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and I wanted it to be fun to interact with our brand,” he said. “I chose the dog, Sunny , as the mascot because I personally didn’t want to be the focus. A French Bulldog is about as friendly and approachable
The owner has used his design skills to make everything from custom pizza boxes to an array of stickers to a wall of customer dog photos with silly captions and much more. Two marketing moments Oppold has created that can be enjoyed by the community outdoors includes a mural of famous South Dakotans that has a new persona added each year, and witty sayings changing now and again on the Sunny’s marquee sign (i.e. "Our pizza slaps harder than Will Smith "). Oppold’s second project with co-owner Thomas Hentges , The Orion Pub , opened in 2023 and was given its own creative spin. Utilizing antiques and their vision, the pair curated their own retro neighborhood bar a la the 1970s in downtown Sioux Falls. “I intentionally created a brand that was made to feel unassuming and inclusive. At the time, downtown felt devoid of a working class bar that catered to a more mature audience,” said Oppold. “We were looking to be sort of a throwback bar that carries and promotes classic beer brands on tap ( Hamm’s , Coors Banquet , PBR , Old Style , Grain Belt ), so I gravitated to the idea of making our marketing look like dusty old beer ads you’d find in a magazine from the ‘70s and ‘80s.”
He reached out to his favorite local film photographer Cassia McLoone to help recreate the imagery.
“It’s been fun sort of going back in time to create a brand that is intended to be gritty, nostalgic, and a little rough around the edges,” he said.
Learn more about the marketing aficionado.
WRITTEN BY ALANA SNYDER AND PHOTOS BY KAYLA JOHNSON
16 | 605MAGAZINE.COM
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