ESPN’s X Games is a global event, bringing top-class athletes of extreme sports into an Olympic-style competition that pushes the boundaries of athleticism. However, their brand assets didn’t communicate the same cutting-edge vibe. With vendors around the globe, speaking multiple languages, using different measuring systems and applications, the creative outcome was a mash-up of styles without a vision and creative that didn’t articulate X Games’ trend-setting aesthetic. 

 

Our approach was to plug into the X Games culture where the athletes are seen as a hybrid of rock stars and influencers—setting the trends, not following them. We evolved the mash-up movement to create a style that was inspired by the exhilaration of nailing a move, the power of speed, the dizzying spins, the grabs and flips that defy gravity—breaking apart the norm and putting it back together as controlled chaos. 

 

The final product was a series of modular puzzle pieces such as photography, words, shapes, decals, images, fonts, and even phrases that could be assembled in a synergistic brand-forward style that enabled turn-key assembly. But if a vendor had a question, we made ourselves available regardless of time zones. 

 

Outcome:

The client was extremely pleased with the results. The merch created for the event became extremely popular, and its sales exceeded expectations.