The document outlines the history and evolution of Schwinn, a bicycle company founded in 1895, focusing on its commitment to quality and innovative design, especially during its peak years. It highlights Schwinn's decline in the 1980s and 1990s due to market shifts and competition, leading to bankruptcy in 1992, yet the brand still persists today. The document also explores strategies for revitalizing the brand through modern marketing, design elements, and engaging customer experiences.

1. GORDON McINTYRE-LEE
ZEUS JONES DESIGN HOMEWORK

2. THE ASSIGNMENT
REIMAGINING A CLASSIC
AMERICAN BRAND

3. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCHWINN

4. Founded in 1895 by
Ignaz Schwinn
Company was founded on the
principle that high quality bicycles
could effectively compete against
numerous other competitors.
!
Focus on simplicity and quality, not
ground-breaking design.
!
Schwinn recognized the marketing
and product development value of
racing. Team participated in, and
sponsored “6-Day” races.

5. Beginning in the mid-20th
century, growth was fueled
by innovative design and
features
Schwinn brought the double-tube
balloon tire to market in 1930s
!
Frank Schwinn insisted on higher
quality, despite an industry known at
the time for cheap manufacturing
!
Emphasis on highly stylized bikes,
rather than “lightweight” bikes
!
1950s through 1970s was focused
primarily on the growing youth
market
!

6. Decline through ‘80s
and ‘90s
Slow response to BMX and mountain
bike markets cut into Schwinn’s
market share
!
Kids that grew up on Schwinns
moved to foreign “lightweights”
!
Manufacturing was contracted out to
Panasonic and later Giant
!
Schwinn filed for bankruptcy in 1992,
due to eroded market share and
increasing labor costs

7. The Schwinn brand continues on to this day,
selling primarily through mass-market retailers.
There are few connections to the earliest values
Schwinn was founded on.

8. COMPETITIVE
LANDSCAPE

9. Category:
!
Loud
!
Expected
!
European-influenced
!
Sponsorship-heavy
!
Poorly designed
!
Focused on competition
!
Cheesy
Schwinn is:
!
Understated
!
Surprising
!
American
!
Simple
!
Well designed
!
Focused on everyday racers
!
Authentic
Market Whitespace:
!
Quiet confidence
!
Valuable
!
Rooted in history
!
Refined
!
Inventive
!
Supportive of audience
!
Has soul

10. Category:
!
Loud
!
Expected
!
European-influenced
!
Sponsorship-heavy
!
Poorly designed
!
Focused on competition
!
Cheesy
Schwinn is:
!
Understated
!
Surprising
!
American
!
Simple
!
Well designed
!
Focused on everyday racers
!
Authentic
Market Whitespace:
!
Quiet confidence
!
Valuable
!
Rooted in history
!
Refined
!
Inventive
!
Supportive of audience
!
Has soul

11. “WE ARE HUSTLERS AND WANT HUSTLERS”
– Arnold, Schwinn & Co. Advertisement
1896 Chicago World’s Fair
This core belief embodies the Schwinn brand, from their earliest days
inventing new products and supporting American racers, to their mission
today: creating products that allow riders of all levels to hustle harder,
ride farther and chart new paths.

12. We begin with the most distilled kernel of the
Schwinn brand, and build a cohesive strategy that
brings this to life through imagery and actions.

13. GRAPHIC TONE

14. SCHWINN’S PAST
SERVED AS A CREATIVE
FOUNDATION
Schwinn’s creative direction has
literally spanned a century of design.
Simple, strong typography, clear
depictions of their product, and a
generally consistent use of the color
red served as the foundation of a
renewed brand approach.

15. IDEAS
A simplified palette brings the
Schwinn brand back to its roots
!
Bold graphic forms reiterate
Schwinn’s commitment to quality,
simplicity and durability
!
Imagery captures the craftsmanship,
camaraderie and sense of discovery
that comes with cycling

16. COLOR

18. TYPOGRAPHY

19. IDEAS
Type should be rooted in Schwinn’s
past, but feel contemporary
!
Combination of sans serif with
geometric forms and industrial slab
serif connect to past type use
!
Although used in the past, script
faces should be limited to illustrative
elements and display use, not
incorporated as a system face
!
!

21. PATTERNS &
ILLUSTRATION

22. IDEAS
Graphic elements should articulate
Schwinn’s core values of craftsmanship,
quality and performance
!
Graphic forms should be scalable and
easy to use across a range of
applications and mediums

23. PHOTOGRAPHY

24. IDEAS
Imagery should capture the broad
range of emotion that occurs while
riding, not simply happiness
!
Riders should be placed in a broader
context – riding is about exploring
the world
!
Always display the craft and quality
that is the heart of Schwinn
EXISTING PHOTOGRAPHY

25. NEW PHOTOGRAPHY

26. LOGO EXPLORATION

27. IDEAS
A new logo should be iconic, easily
reproducible, and move the Schwinn
brand into a more modern stance
!
Simple use of color will help
modernize and simplify the mark
!
The bike, and Schwinn’s early
commitment to its basic technology,
can form the basis for a new mark
!

29. VISUAL LANGUAGE
EXPLORATION

34. A broad range of graphic assets can easily be
extended to strategic marketing actions, at once
reinforcing and molding the brand over time.

35. AID STATIONS
Sometimes when you’re grinding out the miles, things go south.
That’s why Schwinn continually hustles to provide aid along the most
popular urban routes. Schwinn aid stations provide easy access to
water, energy bars and support gear. Red towers mark each aid
station, or they can be found in the Schwinn Rider Tools app.

37. SCHWINN RIDER SUPPORT
Schwinn believes in the bicycle as a vehicle for discovery, and hustles
every day to ensure each rider is supported on the road. Schwinn Rider
Support provides the peace of mind to know that wherever you are, a
helping hand is just a call or click away. Integrated into the Schwinn
Rider Tools app, Rider Support provides around the clock service in
the event of a mechanical, so you can get back on the road.

39. STRAVA CHALLENGES
Partnering with Strava gives Schwinn access to a well used fitness
app that targets an enthusiast demographic. Sponsored challenges
build awareness of the revitalized Schwinn brand, and support riders
as they ride farther, grind longer and hustle harder.

41. SCHWINN CUSTOMS
Schwinn customs give customers a chance to get their hands dirty
and be part of the creation process. Harkening back to the days of the
high tolerances and traditional frame building techniques of the
Paramount, Schwinn Customs provides bespoke frames, custom
ordered to each customer’s spec. Every frame is hand built with the
highest quality materials, allowing a tailored ride, built in conjunction
with the customer. Bikes can be built online, or in consultation with a
Schwinn expert.

48. Thank you for your time.