Zeus Jones Design Homework - Gordon McIntyre-Lee

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

17. TYPOGRAPHY

18. 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 ! !

19. PATTERNS & ILLUSTRATION

20. 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

21. PHOTOGRAPHY

22. 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

23. NEW PHOTOGRAPHY

24. LOGO EXPLORATION

25. 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 !

26. VISUAL LANGUAGE EXPLORATION

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

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. Thank you for your time.