Hasta La Ideas

Distil Studio has designed an identity system for a new sportswear brand, Pavilion, based on the concept of ‘versus’.

Founded by rugby fan Barney Havelaar Cook, Pavilion will be launched in September this year. Its initial product range will include hats, scarves and training tops and the brand is aimed at “anyone who’s passionate about sport  – people who won’t necessarily wear team scarves but like sportswear and heritage fashion,” says Distil Studio director Neil Hedger.

The Pavilion logo uses custom bold sans type and the underlined ‘v’ is designed to reflect the visual language of fixture boards, says Hedger.

“We were given the brand name Pavilion, so we went to a few for inspiration. We looked at fixture boards at each and that got us thinking – ‘versus’ is a fundamental part of every sport, representing triumph, defeat, team spirit and celebrations – so why not make that a key part of the brand’s identity?” he says.

The black sans type is designed to contrast Pavilion’s traditional name, says Hedger. “People would probably expect a serif logo but we wanted something more modern. For the versus idea to really work, the ‘v’ needed to be strong so we made it bold and added tramlines,” he explains.

The ‘v’ also appears as a standalone icon on selected garments and could be adapted to suit a range of colour schemes and product ranges, says Hedger.

Stickers designed to appear on packaging also use colour and a play on the concept of ‘versus’, featuring phrases such as ‘blood v sweat’ and ‘pride v glory’ over photographs of fixture boards and rugby teams – an idea Distil will be developing for a series of promotional posters to be launched during next year’s rugby season.

As well as the brand’s main logo, Distil has designed a symbol made up of a ball of wool between two knitting needles – a reference to the brand’s rugby roots that will appear on stickers, labels and bags. “We had four possible symbols before we chose the ‘v’ and this one wasn’t strong enough to work as the logo, but we thought it was a nice, playful idea that embraces the spirit of Pavilion and reflects an emphasis on craftsmanship,” adds Hedger.

Distil are also working on Pavilion’s website, which will be launched in September and will use a customised e-commerce template rather than a bespoke site design.

There’s no shortage of heritage-inspired leisure brands but Distil has designed a strong identity system with some clever touches and memorable details – the ‘v’ is immediately recognisable and can be adapted to suit future product lines; while the bold logo should help Pavilion stand out against established competitors.

“It’s a small start up on a tight budget but hopefully, we’ve created a credible brand identity and a solid icon that the company can work and grow with,” says Hedger.

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The July issue of Creative Review is a type special, with features on the Hamilton Wood Type Museum, the new Whitney identity and the resurgence of type-only design. Plus the Logo Lounge Trend Report, how Ideas Foundation is encouraging diversity in advertising and more.