Make the logo bigger?
Simply making the logo bigger doesn't necessarily equal strong brand recognition or presence. Consumers often ignore logos that are simply made bigger and bigger, so a creative solution had to be sought. By cropping into sections of the EF logo, which is unique and memorable in its own right, we created dynamic graphic devices that feel akin to the sport. They have a movement and energy that when applied in the correct way, says EF semiotically but are also conscious of cycling and the visual aesthetic that surrounds the culture.
Align those touchpoints
One of the issues of the 2018 season’s brand was the visual differences between the kit, vehicle fleet and other touchpoints. For 2019/20, we were keen to make sure the team’s visual language was more linked up.
The design team at Rapha kicked things off by designing an amazing kit centred around an ‘oil slick’ graphic, which then formed the basis for the entire identity design. The identity usage guide utilised the oil slick and the cropped logo graphics as the main assets to build out a system which could be applied to the wide range of touchpoints associated with a pro cycling team.
Still exploring in 2020
The 2020 season saw a remix of the kit, designed by Rapha, and an update to the art direction to align. Our riders are the heroes of the team. And, when they play center stage, they should be portrayed as such. By combining the professional headshots of the riders we played with scale and a ‘chopped up’ version of the graphic device to create these hero posters. This technique is intended to build strong customer connections by utilising powerful imagery that communicates this truth of our riders.
