Are you hearing Outdoor Voices?: A brand exploration

At Bokeh, we believe that a brand’s strategy and design help reinforce the narratives that define its identity and shape consumer perceptions. As a creative exercise, our team often looks out into the world to select a brand we admire, and do a deep-dive.

Our goal is not to prescribe solutions but inspire directions. What follows is an exploration of the Outdoor Voices brand.

A unique perspective

Tyler Haney, the founder and CEO of Outdoor Voices, observed that the market for activewear was saturated in messages of competition. There was no brand that spoke to the casual consumer. The type of individual who is content with activity for personal pleasure and recreation, as opposed to performance.

What arose from Tyler’s observation was a brand that questioned the paradigm pushed by companies like Lululemon, Nike, and Under Armour. A brand that measured success in how you feel, not in what you achieve. Outdoor Voices recognizes that the act of simply doing things — for yourself and with others — is the achievement.

We found this positioning to be incredibly liberating, encouraging, and positive. It removes the barriers that often discourage individuals — especially those who aren’t physiologically built like an athlete. It’s a message that doesn’t rely on intimidating imagery or motivational quotes sprinkled in machismo. Outdoor Voices strikes a softer, more empathetic tone with beautifully composed imagery that celebrates a love for movement and mobility. There is an appreciation for the human form as opposed to the sexualization of the human body. It is this approach — relaxed, honest, and reassuring — that fundamentally empowers all those who are exposed to it.

A voice without volume

Outdoor Voices unique and bold message was mired by a visual identity that lacked idealism and vigor. The brand felt plain, sleepy, and boring. In a space crowded with iconic global brands, this is a problem.

To be blunt, OV’s brand feels unoriginal. Whether applied online or physically, the brand had no defining personality. It consistently borrows design cues from recognizable brands such as Gap, Kit Ace, and Casper.

OV’s brand mark may be an even worse offender. The logo resembled a bird’s head and beak, a marker for a mapping application, or an ice cream cone (a particularly counterproductive allusion for an outdoor activity and recreation brand). Simply put, individuality was nowhere to be found.

A Google search for Outdoor Voices branding yielded a troubling and random assortment of results. If Outdoor Voices aspires to grow into an iconic activewear brand, they need to develop an identity thats truly ownable.

A new credo

We started by developing a credo for Outdoor Voices that was inspired by interviews with Tyler Haney where she discusses her upbringing and inspiration. It would be their very own version of To the crazy ones.

Five explorations

Inspired by outdoor activity and nature, our first exploration of a new brand mark combines the “O” and the “V” in a way that recalls a sunset over rolling hills. It stays true to the simplicity of OV’s current branding, incorporating rounded edges that keep the mark soft and friendly.

Adding a bit of complexity, our next exploration takes inspiration directly from OV’s product design. The “O” and the “V” are combined to form a multifaceted shape with the strength to stand on its on.

Meant to channel a love for movement and motion, our third exploration combines the “O” and the “V” in a subtle way. The “V” shape carries a sense of fluidity and freedom while also serving a functional purpose: it provides a foundation for the shape of the “O”. The empty space in the lower left corner of the mark is filled in subliminally to complete the letter.

If this approach reminded you a bit of President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign logo: don’t worry. We caught that too.

It’s actually kinda different, see?

Our favorite representations of OV’s current branding have a bolder and more modern slant in their execution. We drew inspiration from this for our final two approaches.

Exploration #4 combines the letterforms in a manner that is spirited, cool and confident; filled with a vigor and a hunger for adventure.

Simple and abstract, our last exploration is audacious and post-modern. The “O” and the “V” form the top right and top left corners of a square badge which may be turned and flipped in any direction.

The ebullience of Outdoor Voices brand mark should reflect the simple joy of activity.

The brand as a whole — fonts, colors, illustrations, pattern — need to evoke and pay homage to OV’s human and spirited vision for recreation. The result will be the creation of an Outdoor Voices brand who’s look is as powerful and distinct as its voice.