Beicio Cymru
A unifying brand identity for a National Federation.
Beicio Cymru is the National Federation governing cycling in Wales.
WildPigs have created a unifying brand identity for Beicio Cymru, with a new name, a new look and message. The brand is more than a design look and feel, it’s embedded in the Federation’s strategy aimed at getting more people cycling in Wales.
Beginning with a workshop involving the whole Federation, WildPigs opened big conversations about the name of the organisation, its strategy, audience and appeal. This methodology is fundamental to WildPigs’ philosophy. It develops the creative team’s knowledge and it places clients at the centre of the process.
This approach continued throughout the project lifespan developing to include focus groups representative of specific cycling sectors such as Track, BMX, Cyclocross and Road. This resulted in a process of constant testing and appraisals as the creative process unfolded and the journey towards change developed.
The biggest and boldest decisions came right at the start of the process. The Federation logo featured the name of the organisation in English and Welsh along with a stylised icon. WildPigs made a strong recommendation to clarify the name and to use Welsh only. This was a vital step in creating a single, unified identity founded on, and leading with, the Welsh language. It paved the way towards a much needed injection of simplicity and modernity that sits at the heart of the new brand. Similarly, an appraisal of the icon showed that it hinted at one specific type of cycling – elite Track. Since the central proposition of the new strategy is focused on encouraging more people to cycle in Wales, this was unrepresentative of the Federation’s direction and was challenged.
The Logo
Workshop outputs provided some key qualities that the new logo should have; it should feel modern and cool, it should be bold, it might be something unexpected from a Federation. It might have more in common with the feel of brands in the cycling world than other cycling Federations. This thinking inspired us to develop a unique wordmark, handcrafted and finessed, that responded to these qualities and was representative of every type of cycling.
To inject more big expression it was decided that the logo could be used in ways that are never seen in any other brand. Usually logos are placed centrally, or in the corner of assets, protected by exclusion zones and in a specific colour. To give a feeling of attitude and modernity WildPigs challenged that thinking. As a result treatments were developed using the logo that made it part of the message, something more than a stamp in the corner. These are extensive and varied and show the intent to have options in the brand that pushed it away from the corporate.
Brand Message
Whether riders are beginning their cycling journey or are about to go for a gold medal, Beicio Cymru is there for them. The Federation connects diverse communities and cultures through a common denominator – a shared passion for cycling. Added to this is the pride Beicio Cymru has in Wales and the incredible experiences the country offers every kind of rider. ‘Wales. Made for bikes’ is a direct, memorable and true positioning, almost acting as an invitation to every rider to write their cycling story.
To appeal to everyone who is riding as well as those considering getting on a bike the ‘Wales. Made for bikes’ Brand Message has been created in four different visual expressions. There are versions available in Welsh and English all of which can appear in any colour in the brand palette.
Graphic Territories
Two different Graphic Territories have been created to provide worlds for the brand to live inside. One is a conceptual system hinting at different types of journey, progress and development. The second is a more direct system of tyre tracks that speaks of different types of cycling. Both are used inside the brand palette in large, impactful ways.
Photography
To compliment the Federation’s image library WildPigs carried out location shoots all over Wales. The primary objective was to capture the magnificence of the country as a place to ride. Aiming for the spectacular, the country is the dominant feature, celebrating what cyclists enjoy when they immerse themselves in the amazing landscape of Wales.
The brand work from WildPigs has been outstanding. They have provided an incredibly strong creative direction and brought a new clarity to our work. Their approachable and collaborative nature makes them brilliant to work with, and their ability to understand and align with our goals has been instrumental in driving our brand forward. We could not be more impressed with the level of creativity and professionalism they have brought to this vitally important project.
Application
To compliment the Federation’s image library WildPigs carried out location shoots all over Wales. The primary objective was to capture the magnificence of the country as a place to ride. Aiming for the spectacular, the country is the dominant feature, celebrating what cyclists enjoy when they immerse themselves in the amazing landscape of Wales.
