Commercial Design: Abe Froman - The Sausage King of Chicago

I have a t-shirt and product business that I run on the internet. Apart from the added income, it also affords me the opportunity to design t-shirts and products that I would like to have but otherwise cannot find, or I've found, but not to my liking. Today's blog entry: "Abe Froman - The Sausage King of Chicago" is a case in point.

If you are unfamiliar with Abe Froman or just need a little reminder allow me to fill you in. The 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" stars Matthew Broderick as "Ferris" a likable, charismatic yet manipulative high school wise-guy who convinces his depressed friend Cameron to join him in skipping school for the day. They both also successfully conspire to get Ferris's girlfriend Sloane out of school as well so they can all enjoy the day together in downtown Chicago.

Among the many hi jinx they engage in on that day is attempting to have lunch at a very upscale restaurant. When they find out they will need reservations to dine there, Ferris takes the opportunity to look at the guest list when the maitre d' is momentarily distracted. He sees the name "Abe Froman" written on the list. The resulting exchange goes like this:

Maitre d': Hello, may I help you?

Ferris: You can sure as hell try. (pause) I'm Abe Froman, party of three for...

(Maitre d' makes a strange disbelieving face)

Ferris: Is there a problem?

Maitre d': You're Abe Froman? (pause) The sausage king of Chicago?

Ferris: (confidently) Yeah, that's me

Maitre d': I'm very busy Why don't you kids go back to the clubhouse?

Ferris: Are you suggesting I'm not who I say I am?

Maitre d': I'm suggesting that you leave before I have to get snooty

Ferris: Snooty?

Maitre d': Snotty!

Cameron: (nervously) Okay, Abe, let's go

Ferris: (defiant) I'm not going anywhere! No, we'd like to be seated.

Maitre d': I'm going to have to call the police

Ferris: You're going to call the police?

Maitre d': Yes

Ferris: Fine! I'll call them myself

Maitre d': Yes? Call the police. This'll be a hoot.

(Ferris picks up the phone and begins dialing. Another line begins ringing in...)

Maitre d': Give me the phone I have another call! (he reaches to take the phone from Ferris)

Ferris: (pulling away with the phone) You touch me, I yell "rat"! Find another phone!

Maitre d': (walking away) I weep for the future!

The incoming call was in fact Ferris calling the restaurant on the other line. The maitre d' answers the phone from another location and he hears a woman's voice. She asks if Abe Froman has arrived yet. The maitre d' smiles and asks her to describe him. She describes Ferris. The maitre d' is devastated.

The camera cuts away to Ferris's girlfriend Sloane finishing the exchange with the maitre d' and hanging up the phone. The apologetic maitre d' arrives a few moments later and seats Ferris, Cameron and Sloane for lunch.

I don't know why, but that line: "You're Abe Froman? The Sausage King of Chicago" has always stuck with me. Apparently, I'm not alone because it has kind of become embedded as a popular cultural reference for people my age. Kind of like "This was no boating accident" is for the movie Jaws.

I decided I wanted an Abe Froman shirt and started looking on the Internet. As I expected, there is no real Abe Froman who is the "Sausage King of Chicago". There were however hundreds of people selling shirts that depicted the fictitious meat company. Unfortunately, none of them were really what I was looking for. Most just seemed to be hastily slapped together at best. So I decided to do my own design and offer it on my website. Well, and to use as one of my running shirts.

For my concept, I decided to come up with an old-school company logo for the fictitious "Froman Sausages and Meats" first. Something believable and business like. So I selected a color palette, a stylized badge and a couple of good fonts and came up with the logo for "Froman Sausages and Meats":
That done I figured a happy cartoon sausage with a crown would seal the deal and tie the whole concept together nicely. So, I created the entire feature design:
I'm really pleased with the result and my customers responded well to it. It is one of my highest selling designs on products like t-shirts, sweatshirts, things, buttons, mugs, etc.

If you're interested in Abe Froman - The Sausage King of Chicago products or any of my other designs, you'll find them at www.aboriginalz.com.