Cappy's Boxing Gym

Problem To Solve

Cappy’s has served as a pillar of the community for over 20 years as an inclusive space marketed towards people from all walks of life. This brand refresh was aimed at re-introducing an iconic, local boxing gym to stay in line with the shifting surroundings.This refresh lends a modern look to the gym, while emphasizing its legacy of integrity and inclusivity it has maintained over the years.

“How do we introduce Cappy’s to new members of the neighborhood in a way that feels modern without abandoning Cappy’s authentic personality? Can we improve upon Cappy’s existing business model to increase membership without turning it into a copycat boxing studio?”

Proposed Solution

By initiating and retaining new members, we built a friendly, aesthetically-simplified system designed to educate and represent a broad range of new members, without losing the grit or integrity of Cappy’s established reputation. Our team decided to focus on several aspects during the project.

• Authentic Voice
• Relatable Imagery
• Unique and modernized designs
• New member outreach and retaining.

Because Cappy's has such a concrete reputation in the Seattle area already, we wanted to make sure we didn't force an image onto Cappy's that didn't fit their brand. Most potential members would assume any boxing gym would be an intimidating space with professional athletes with a 'No Days Off' mindset. Cappy's steers clear of such rhetoric and focuses on logentivity and overall personal motivation. As long as you try harder than the day before, the trophy you earn is the resilience of a hard earned workout.

Determination. Grit. Legacy.

Research & Demographics

Because Cappy’s mission is aimed at all body types, fitness levels and ages, we discovered that there is no specific demographic that Cappy’s expects to retain. This led us to our decision to design for a diverse audience without losing a cohesive tone. From novice to seasoned boxers, to those wanting to battling for Golden Gloves, and those that simply want a new way to get healthy, the same mentality and focus has to be instilled across all groups. Training is your trophy and with enough drive, everyone can be rewarded.

Brand Discovery

We felt it was necessary to fully understand Cappy’s intention before we moved into the design phase. This way each of our assets would fit into the system without losing the established identity Cappy’s has set for itself.

• Operates as a 501c3 non-profit establishment
• Pay what you can Membership rates/ sliding scale payment structure
• Youth programs ages 8-17
• Personal Training / Group workouts / Virtual options available
• Mobility Workshops
• Provides the community with diverse, challenging but fun workouts by a highly skilled coaching staff.
• Everyone is welcome, total inclusivity, no boxing experience necessary

Brand Concepts

Based on the fluidity needed to fight, the brand concept focuses on rounded geometric shapes to emulate movement, grit being represented by rough textures, and distilled colors to showcase history. B+W photography, rough textures and relatable bodies were combined to cement the visual content of the Cappy’s brand. 

Applications & Touchpoints

These points of contact can enable experienced boxers or those curious to join to interact with the space and show pride in their gym. With branded materials, the Cappy’s brand can be expanded further than strictly class settings.

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Social Media

Time in the gym can be extremely limited and online classes dominate the current landscape of training. Social Media accounts help members stay engaged with monthly trainings, scheduled upcoming events, and inspirational musings from the staff.

Video Commercial / Call To Action

Given COVID restrictions, we did not have as much flexibility in the way of custom footage, which meant we had to deep dive into utilizing stock footage that appropriately expressed our message within the design guidelines we had established for ourselves. Along with creative usage of Adobe Premiere plugins and original kinetic typography inserts, we created a promotional piece intended for easy sharing, establishing the bare bones of what Cappy’s has to offer in a visually stimulating and concise video advertisement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our goal was to introduce new members to a well established, iconic cornerstone of the community while staying authentic to the establishment’s roots. We also wanted to showcase the impact that Cappy’s had on us, not only as designers, but as long-standing residents of the Central District. Upon project completion, we shared our branding book with Cappy’s in which they showed interest in collaborating on marketing and social media materials. They also reassured us that we had captured their energy, intention and personality Cappy’s is well-known for. We consider our overall project a successful representation of everything Cappy’s embodies.

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