Outset
Carving a new trail for mountain biking.
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Brand and positioning for Outset
3Sixty Sports wanted to move on from their supplier-oriented brand, putting the mountain biking community at the forefront of the business. Becoming Outset transformed the business into an authentic hub for mountain bikers with an expanded offering; bringing retail, servicing, distribution, and a new hospitality focus, all under a new roof.
We wanted a logo that landed with impact. The bike world is filled with strong wordmarks, and we had to both fit in, and stand out. We used Klim’s Söhne Extrafett as our starting point, tweaking the letters, cajoling them into a singular path — the perfect line, with a few wrong turns along the way.
The resulting logo is a bold and ownable mark, with a robust, technical feeling, though the softened corners and meeting points give the logo a subtle printed feeling, like the ink is bleeding, which helps it from feeling too mechanical. It's a modern look that stays rooted in the sport's history, this is about the fundamentals done well, and there's nothing here that's not working hard.
The logo is paired with a graphic all-caps tagline that acts as a call to the riders, the trademark symbol treated large and bold. A secondary graphic element has been created as a quick brand mark, a merging of the trees that riders wind through, the muddy marks that the tires leave, and the directional signage you’ll find on trails.
Tagline
Tree
Graphic
Copse
We created two distinctive image treatments to apply to imagery, giving them a striking effect.
Our revolving blur creates a whipped circular blurring motion around the subject of the image, and adds extra drama, while focusing the attention on the moment happening in camera.
And a gritty duotone effect brings our brand colours into the mix, and gives the images a bold graphic look, echoing the spirit of the Outset brand.
The brand language creates a bold and energetic appearance, that pushes through all touchpoints. Whether you’re instore for a coffee and to get your gearing adjusted, or have spotted the team in the Rotorua redwoods, Outset’s unique attitude bleeds through.
Likely Suspects:
Josh O’Neill
Collaborators:
Photography from Rachel Hadfield
Visit Outset’s website