Bonolok
What We Did
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Voice
- Design System
- Marketing Strategy
Industry
A brand launch for the world’s first dedicated birding shoe
Here’s a surprising fact: according to the Outdoor Industry Association, birding might be the fastest-growing nature activity. And until a year ago, there was no footwear designed for the very specific needs of birders and nature photographers.
To get a look at a snow leopard or a kakapo, you’ll likely find yourself both walking for hours and staying still for hours. To capture a photo, you need both stability and flexibility to crouch on a knee. Bonolok is the first shoe to meet this demanding brief.
How we build on a solid brand foundation
With a name and wordmark already in place, Bonolok’s founders had solid footing, but knew they had some weak spots—the brand purpose felt clear to them, but it was falling flat when they tried to explain it, and the logo on its own wasn’t robust enough to sustain the constant customer touchpoints of a DTC brand.
We took what was already working about Bonolok—a catchy name that means “the world of the forest” and a clean wordmark—and brought it to life through language, colour and pattern.
A brand system built on butterflies
The client is a skilled footwear designer and wildlife photographer—and she blended these two passions from her earliest prototypes. The wingspan of the monarch butterfly informed the shape of the shoe, and we brought it into our brand design as well. Organic shapes formed the basis of our iconography, and we pulled colour from wildflowers and alpine meadows—lupine, penstemon and moss.
Launching is a team sport
Our clients were new to the outdoor industry, but ready to fully dive in and make a strong first impression. We developed a marketing strategy that set them up for a strong launch and ongoing engagement—ensuring they stay top of mind and on every nature lover’s wishlist. We facilitated introductions to seasoned Kickstarter pros, sales reps and publicists to collectively make a high-impact launch. The initial Kickstarter surpassed its goal by nearly 600%. The client’s nature photography and willingness to share the launch journey on social media garnered a huge following from the right industry tastemakers right away, and a ready-made fanbase who instantly shared the product as it landed in their mailboxes.
Credits:
Photography
Sumi Das
Monday
Design Director: Oliver Warman
Strategy Director: Zafira Rajan
Sr Strategist: Amanda Gregory-Jones
Creative Director: Ryan Romero
Account Director: Hudson Lee
