McDavid
CLIENTSporting Goods
INDUSTRYBranding, Advertising, Packaging, Print Collateral, Photo Art Direction, Merchandising
TACTICSAfter 30+ years of sporting goods innovation and technological instigation, McDavid was primed to grow. They had all the product know-how and smarts, but their look had grown stale and was failing to attract their core audience of teenage athletes. Fortunately, McDavid's new marketing VP approached us for a refreshed identity and a quest for brand re-inspiration. This updated identity would then spread across every aspect of McDavid’s operation, from product to in-store merchandising, new package designs for 100s of products to advertising, social media, trade show displays to literally anything else brand-able. We blew-up, dismantled and deconstructed everything about McDavid, except the core principles and passions that will always serve them and their customers. We made McDavid 30 Years New.
OBJECTIVE
LOGO REDESIGN: The logo was in dire need of reenergizing. Their original "threx" symbol evolved into a new, elongated hexagonal 'M' mark, which can stand on its own without typographic support and unlike its predecessor, it is iconic enough to be recognizable from afar.
DeANDRE JORDAN (Los Angeles Clippers): We've had the pleasure of directing over 25 photoshoots on location, with specialized and professional athletes (including athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB).
DRE KIRKPATRICK (Cincinnati Bengals): We've had the pleasure of directing over 25 photoshoots on location, with specialized and professional athletes (including athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB).
DEE GORDON (Formerly Los Angeles Dodgers): We've had the pleasure of directing over 25 photoshoots on location, with specialized and professional athletes (including athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB).
HARRISON BARNES (Dallas Mavericks): We've had the pleasure of directing over 25 photoshoots on location, with specialized and professional athletes (including athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB).
JAMAAL CHARLES (Formerly Kansas City Chiefs): We've had the pleasure of directing over 25 photoshoots on location, with specialized and professional athletes (including athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB).
GREAT SPORTING GOODS
McDavid is built on a super-strong foundation of product development. Their Hex apparel and sleeves were the first on the scene with pads built from modular cells, for the ultimate flexibility and protection. Their SportMed® braces have created a whole industry of supportive products to aid in mending and preventing damage to joints. Great lengths have been taken to show off these features through meaningful product photography. We have worked closely with the client, our photographers and retoucher to streamline the process and get the best looking images in the biz.
What we appreciate most about working with SDCo is their collaborative style. Extremely responsive to tough problems and evolving direction, we can always count on them to step up and help us get to the finish line. After working with Sussner on a fairly vast rebranding effort, McDavid has become a sports brand rapidly on the rise. We’ve seen growth by double digits, while raising industry standards for merchandising and marketing.
Mary Horwath, Vice President Global Marketing
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WORLD-CLASS MESSAGING
A huge part of McDavid’s success is due to its consumer-focused voice. All materials are infused with brand “mojo” and relatable people-speak. The tagline “First On. Last Off.” shows off how McDavid has been written with layers of meaning—in this case, combining inspirational ‘tenacity’ and a tie to the product’s usage (as the first thing an athlete puts on and the last thing they take off).
2016 CATALOG SET: A subtle gloss layer wraps the 2016 catalog covers in textural messaging.
2016 CATALOG SPREAD: Clean, technical content layout combines with energetic photography.
2016 FIRST LOOK BOOK: A special short run of books meant for key buyers to get a sneak peek.
2016 FIRST LOOK BOOK—CUSTOM CLOSURE & BINDING: Tear strip closure and sewn binding create a tactile, for-your-eyes-only feel.
2016 FIRST LOOK BOOK—PAGE DETAIL: A flood of introductory voice and gritty process-driven photography.
2015 CATALOG SET: Each year's catalog has a different theme and look—this set features a collage of photography, covering athletes of all shapes and sizes.
PACKAGING SYSTEM
For such a vast array of products, we knew the packaging solution would need to be a flexible system. We worked closely with the client to organize, develop and improve the entire McDavid packaging family for all 200+ products. Unique typographic marks and illustrated icons were created for all technologies. A rating system was established to help customers differentiate between all the various SportMed® braces. Special illustrated embellishments were added to some of the product photos to help explain the technologies. Eye-catching and tactile printing techniques were employed to elevate the most valuable items. All while remaining cohesive and impressive.
ELITE BIO-LOGIX PACKAGING: These two top-of-the-line braces required a special approach with refined print techniques to elevate them above the rest of the robust line of SportMed products.
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: McDavid can boast something that no other sporting goods company has: 35 years of proven innovation in sports medicine, shown here with a foil seal on the side of the packaging.
ELITE PACKAGING: The rest of the Elite product line got an up-do as well, complete with bold red background photography and spot gloss on the products.
PERFORMANCE PACKAGING: For McDavid's wide line of Performance items, a system of paper cartons was developed with die-cut preview windows and technology illustrations.
PERFORMANCE PACKAGING—TRAYS: The Performance cartons also feature a slide-out tray for easy product access.
SPORTMED PACKAGING: McDavid's hard-working line of over 80 SportMed® braces and wraps received a full redesign and clamshell facelift, with arrow elements to mimic the Performance carton windows.
CUP & SUPPORT PACKAGING: The even harder-working protective cups got a new look as well, with new molded contours and a bigger display for garments included within.
TAPE PACKAGING: Surprisingly the family of athletic tapes received the most dramatic redesign; paper hanger wraps elevated the once bargain-bin, plastic-wrapped item to new heights and out of commodity territory.
ADVERTISING—IT'S ON ME: One thing that unites athletes at all levels is the pressure to perform—it comes from coaches, parents, teammates and the athlete him or herself. This campaign is about harnessing that pressure and using it to overcome.
ADVERTISING—NOW BE: Fill in the blank. Athletes all have their own goals and aspirations. This theme focused on the desire to achieve personal bests, and to do it NOW.
ADVERTISING—30 YEARS NEW: Simply a celebration of a rebrand, a rebirth and the technological leadership and longevity of McDavid, creating products to improve athletes' lives for more than 30 years.
ADVERTISING—BENEATH GREATNESS MORE GREATNESS: A double entendre, speaking both to McDavid's product and the athletes who wear them. McDavid is along for the ride and ready to support.
RECOGNITION:
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