Rush Sports goes live with revived brand

Pietermaritzburg based Rush Sports, a brand which has attracted an experienced team and leading cycling brands to its stable unveiled the evolution of its brand identity created by Boomtown, including a modernised and simplified update to its iconic red and black logo and a new look and feel for branded communications and experiences.

The appointment of a new senior management team, expansion (including a new office in Pretoria), and future growth plans were fundamental to this change. Briefing Boomtown to create its new identity, the agency also rolled out a direct mail campaign to introduce consumers and partners to the new brand.

“The brand needed to mature in-line with the business,” remarks Rush Sports Managing Director, Andre van Aarde. “The visual execution of Rush Sports needed to demonstrate our focus, professionalism and our love of riding.”

UCI mountain bike World Cup champ Greg Minnaar was recently appointed as a Director and proves Rush Sports recruits a team who ride and succeed: “As a Santa Cruz rider, I believe the brand has found a great home in South Africa with Rush Sports. Both companies have a rider-focused strategy, and are innovative in their approach to business.”

With the idea ‘less is more’, the new identity for Rush Sports is clean, sophisticated and places it in-line with the market-leading, international brands it represents in Southern Africa.

“Rush Sports is emerging as one of those unique brands that are instantly recognisable in cycling circles,” adds Andrew MacKenzie, Boomtown MD and avid cyclist. “To thrive in this new digital world where business moves faster than ever, we wanted to modernise and elevate the brand in a design that is simple and elegant, yet unquestionably Rush Sports.”

“We’ve been on a fantastic trajectory, with digital technology being an increasingly important part of our business,” van Aarde added, “Now it’s time for our brand to embody the company we’ve become.”

Boomtown designed a brand mark to work seamlessly across all digital platforms, retail channels and printed media, while preserving its heritage was key to the overall effort.

The evolved brand identity will be rolled out to all Rush Sports products, communications, and experiences.

Newly-appointed Product Director, Philip Erasmus adds: “My priority is to work with suppliers to deliver exceptional value for our customers, the new CI is another great way to express our professional approach, attention to detail and elevate our position in the market.”