Mr. Upside x Stiel Boxing Gear
Stiel is an independent boxing equipment brand from Barendrecht, the Netherlands. Originated in 2015 from the need to make a better boxing glove than most on the market at that time. The years of experience and knowledge of boxing can be seen and felt in an unprecedented good fit, high quality materials and excellent personal customer service.
Client
Stiel Boxing Gear
Services delivered
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity Design
Art Direction
Communications Consultancy
UX/UI Design
Graphic Design
Project Management
Quick links
Challenge
The boxing equipment market in which Stiel operates is dominated by only two major brands and many smaller ones. Stiel has expressed the ambition to drastically increase its market share in the medium term.
To achieve that, a professional corporate identity is needed that properly communicates the core values and positions the brand as a truly premium player in the market.
Not defined nor documented
Stiel's corporate identity consisted of nothing more than a wordmark with a striking symbol. Other corporate identity elements, such as typography or graphic forms were neither defined nor documented. It also used the color red, which is also used in the market by many other competitors.
Also, due to the lack of documentation on the Stiel corporate identity, the consistency of that corporate identity and its use by external suppliers was perceived as frustrating and inefficient. Hardly any work was done on the visibility of Stiel.
Approach
Working closely with Stiel, three Brand Strategy sessions were held using the Mr. Upside Brand Model to find out where Stiel's strengths and distinctiveness lie. The defined core values were translated into a visual corporate identity that is unique in the boxing goods market. Consideration was also given to how to better address the specific target group.
10 steps
In fact, the proven and tested approach (10 steps) of Mr. Upside was used:
1. Brand Discovery sessions.
2. Brand Passport
3. Design Stylescapes with Art Direction for the corporate identity.
4. (Re-)design symbol / logo / brand mark
5. Design typography
6. Design color palette
7. Design additional graphic elements
8. Photography, video and/or animation
9. Design of corporate identity applications
10. Design Brand Book
Vision and mission
The Netherlands is getting unhealthier. Boxing rides on the trend towards improving health. Whereas boxing used to be more of a sport for men who sought a sporting outlet for their aggression, in a dim gym somewhere in the back, boxing today has become more of an intensive workout for everyone.
Broader target audience
To meet the need for less aggressive forms of boxing, specialized variations of boxing have been developed. As a result, boxing has become more popular and its target audience has widened. More gyms are offering the sport as a workout. The target group has changed. More women are doing boxing. The proportion of beginning boxers is larger than ever.
Style and appearance
Because of the sport's greater popularity, more money is being put into marketing by all parties involved. Style and appearance of boxing products have become more important. Many parties in the market are responding to this need with stylish boxing gear.
Result
Stiel now distinguishes itself in this market by, unlike competitors, appealing precisely to the experienced boxer with several years of experience and making premium boxing products of extremely high, technical quality in a no-nonsense manner for this demanding target group. The focus on craft and technical quality is unmatched in a market where cheaper materials and a focus on style and marketing dominate.
Brand recognition
The existing wordmark and symbol for the sake of brand recognition were retained, but crucial changes were made at the detail level. A new primary corporate identity color, Stiel typography and image concept were designed. The corporate identity rules were also documented. So that monitoring of the Stiel corporate identity became easier and more efficient.
BRAND PROMISE
Stiel promises experienced boxers a range of very high quality boxing equipment at a fair price, backed by excellent customer service. Numerous enthusiastic positive customer experiences and decades of experience in the boxing world make this promise reliable.
Deliverables
The following corporate identity issues and applications were delivered for Stiel:
Three Brand Discovery brand strategy sessions of 2 hours each. In which special insights were arrived at through an extensive set of questions
Comprehensive Brand Passport with all insights clearly presented
Critical, technical refresh of the Stiel wordmark and logotype
Definition of the corporate identity:
Stiel logotype and wordmark and mutual composition and relationship
Palette of corporate colours and hierarchy
Typography of offline and online applications
Graphic forms and patterns
Image concept (what photography / illustration and edits are going to be able to be used)
Social Media templates to work on better visibility
UX/UI Design website Stiel.nl (still in development) for Desktop and Mobile devices, guidance on the technical development of the website
E-mail signature
Online Brand Book (still in development)
Extensive examples of applications of the corporate identity
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