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Le Col Creative Direction & Brand Strategy

Our work with Le Col covers strategic consulting and creative direction, as well as full delivery of large scale campaigns for digital, eCommerce, paid social, marketing and eCRM. In more recent years we have played a more pro-active role in rooting out key issues within the business and putting systems in place to reduce strain on resource, improve the quality, and reduce spend. Our focus has always been to do more, for less, by using our years of expertise to streamline the areas that are being over-serviced, but not at the expense of the bigger creative and conceptual wins.

We’re not usually ones to boast about what we do, but when we started this journey, Le Col was an unknown entity, from an unknown bike rider. In the past decade we have built a brand that has secured over £15m+ in funding, has worked with the highest calibre of Tour winning riders, Giro winning teams and a host of enviable partnerships. From the logo to the TV commercials, we can proudly say we’ve had our hand in most of it.
We’re always striving to build on the brand – for higher quality assets, more consistently, with a premium brand offering. But, more than that, we want the passion that most of us riders feel to be handled with care, it’s not just a commodity, and those working on it should enjoy the journey. This passion and drive culminates in more functional deliverables like our over-arching concept development for 2024 below.

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Our strategic approach has led to a number of key improvements across the business – an overhaul of email marketing; including new guidelines, a new hierarchy and photography approach, flexible templates, as well as implementing automated batching and scripting processes across the bulk of its products. Having seen first hand the internal issues as the business scaled, we could resolve repetition, as well as specifics like global pricing, gender splits, slow turnaround times and high volumes of assets. Delivering a 60% reduction in design and marketing resource, with more control being put back into the eCRM team to focus on performance.

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We’ve audited and recommended better solutions for photography and videography across the board, looking to elevate the offering at all opportunities from a customer perspective. We’ve introduced some immensely talented creatives from photographers, videographers, 3D/designers, animators, production companies and directors along the way, who continue to deliver the vision. This enthusiasm has most noticeable improved the digital and eCommerce proposition with a much more forward focussed approach to improvements and nimble, data-driven, iterations.

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AW & SS/23 Brand Identity

Having audited the brand development from previous seasons, we created a flexible identity system that would streamline internal resource without impacting on the quality of the output. By producing an over-arching design system, we were able to build an identity that was dynamic enough to deliver simpler, more templated, solutions when the deadlines are tight, whilst having the ability to be flexible on larger campaigns. We also delivered a large proportion of the output and art direction across all platforms.

The forward slash solution and frame device allowed room for creativity, maintaining a consistent look and feel across multiple products and ranges. The key was to find a solution that enabled typography, a key brand pillar, to work effectively as well as leave room to be playful without stringent rules that would stifle exploration.

As part of the brand audit, we also gave recommendations on shoot direction and photography approaches for social media and all digital platforms. As well as creating a new set of brand guidelines across eCrm, to again, pull back valuable time that was being lost, but also to raise the bar on the quality of output. We overhauled the teams approach to studio & model photography that considers UI and UX work that is in progress.

Our unique position allows us to really understand where the internal team can make better use of resources, driving competitive edge and deliver across multiple channels effectively. A future-proofed approach that can be built on for the next season.

 

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Adapted and applied to the Le Col x Wiggins launch:

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Ascii style approach for Le Col x McLaren

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Le Col SS21 – F*ck it, Fake it

Cycling has always put emphasis on place – From the Alpine climbs of Galibier, Croix de Fer and Stelvio, to the steep streets of Siena – where you ride holds weight. In testing times with restrictions on travel and hopes of winter sun abroad, hopes of our Spring Summer photoshoots evaporated with each announcement. Like everyone, dreams of switchbacks and short sleeves were dashed.

Having explored options to shoot in Tenerife, and then Mallorca, and then turning our own frustrations into an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and be more creative. It became clear from the process, that actually, do we want to be seeing images of other people riding those iconic and sunny roads? Social influencers were flouting the rules, and our patience, time for Plan C – F*ck it, Fake it… time to be more playful, embrace our home roads and put a bit of fun back into cycling, like so many have found in lockdown. Own it.

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Concept & Execution: Limited Edition Design
Client: Le Col
Photography: Michael Blann
Retouch: Phil Borg
Production: Squire & Thom Green

New identity and Positioning for Panmure Gordon & Company

Our latest repositioning and branding project for banking institution Panmure Gordon & Company, building on its rich heritage and progressive plans for growth.

The project covered a strategic phase, defining and repositioning the business leading into the creation of the visual brand that fitted its new purpose of Redefining Merchant Banking.

We’ve created a new brand world and guidelines covering all aspects of the visual identity from logo, photography, tone of voice, marketing collateral and a new website currently in production.

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Step Into KOOVS.com campaign

Creative Direction for the 2016/17 campaign for India’s leading online fashion store, KOOVS.com. The video concept combines a progressive dance narrative with in-camera transitions, allowing for multiple outfit changes, fitting seamlessly into the action. The video is coupled with a bold music track composed specifically for the campaign. Our male and female lead embody the cultural shift of India’s youth, empowered and driven by a more western influence to fashion. Colour is bought to the fore using a paired back location with coloured smoke grenades further emphasising the outfit shades. A celebration of colour, and the confidence you get from looking great.

The new KOOVS.com campaign is now live and consists of a TV commercial, print and digital advertising, shot and filmed in the Truman Brewery, London. The TVC began airing last week, with the video surpassing 1.5 million views on YouTube in the first few days.

20 Second TVC spot:

Stills campaign:

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Agency: Quill
Creative Director: Paul Greeno
Producer: Paul Albert
Exec Producer: Giulio Sarchiola

TVC Production: Agile Films
Directors: Tom & Amar
Producer: Rebecca Little
Exec Producer: Richard South
1st AD: Bailey Marks
2nd AD: Rick O’Connor
DOP: Mathew Taylor
FP: Robin Webster
DIT: Chris Nunn
Steadicam: Thomas English

Talent: Charlotte Hawthorne & Tylor Deyn

Choreography: Adrian Gas
Hair: Paris France
Make-up: Lara Himplemann

Photographer: Kayla Varley
Producer: Morgan Parker
Agents: AMP Agency