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Challenge: When I joined Deluxe in 1995, they were the largest single manufacturer of skateboards and skateboard accessories in the world, with annual sales upwards of $15 million. They ran two different skateboard companies, two clothing labels, a truck company, and a wheel company. Each of these companies was marketed as a separate brand, necessitating six different marketing campaigns for monthly print publications. Since skateboard sales is driven almost exclusively by corporate image, each brand needed a distinct and separate identity. Solution: We built completely different identities for each company and strategized the introduction of new companies to fill specific market niches. Deluxe¹s flagship company, Real Skateboards, had been in business since 1991. In skateboarding terms, it was already a senior brand. The challenge was to create an image that could survive further evolution, while staying true to the company¹s past positioning. We chose to push the individual team members¹ personalities with an artsy, photo-intensive aesthetic that relied on the work of our in-house photographer, Gabe Morford. Often times we would develop ad concepts based on the photographs he brought in from his daily sessions. Other times, we would send him out in search of specific imagery to compose an idea we had figured out ahead of time. Either way, the photography always showed more than just skateboarding. By showing lifestyle photos and including quotes from the riders, we promoted the team members and played up their personalities, which in turn strengthened the company¹s identity. Stereo Skateboards¹ identity revolved around the metaphor of music mostly jazz. Taking cues from the classic Bebop records of the 50s and 60s, we came up with minimalist designs that showcased interesting photography and paired it with simple, bold typographic treatments. This aesthetic was reflected in the boards we made for Stereo, the clothing, and the accessories. It was a new and fresh idea in market that had previously been dominated by cartoon imagery. During the first half of my time at Deluxe, Stereo was the top-selling brand in skateboarding. Though the company¹s co-founder, Jason Lee, left skateboarding at Stereo¹s peak of popularity to pursue a successful acting career, the simple, clean designs we used continued to be well received long after, making Stereo one of the longest-running brands in an industry known for its short attention span and its obsession with the next best thing. When Deluxe decided to launch Antihero, a third board company, we devised a rough, haphazard look that perfectly fit their unorthodox and unruly team. Each team member had a reputation for trouble with the law, with authority, with women, and/or with alcohol. At the time, skateboarding had returned to the public spotlight with giant corporate events like ESPN¹s XGames, bringing mainstream audiences to watch image-conscious pros who worried about getting their clothes dirty. Antihero wanted nothing to do with corporate America. Here was a brand that brought some of the soul back to skateboarding. Intimately familiar with skateboarding¹s gritty beginnings, this team of renegades rode together, travelled together, drank together, and fought together. We composed their ads with intentionally rough edges to mirror the team¹s personality. The results were an incredibly loyal following and continued high sales.
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