DESIGN NAME: Black Crows
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Brand Identity
INSPIRATION: At first imagined as a flock of birds drawn simplistically by a kid, the logo, formed by six chevrons, embodies the black crows skiers community. When put upside down, the logo turns into a mountain chain, reminding Chamonix Mont Blanc, where the brand was originally founded. The fact that Yorgo was part of the adventure since the inception of the brand, in charge of every visual aspect from day one, allowed him to have an unique all encompassing level of control over the graphics, the identity and the images. As Yorgo says, it is fantastic to spot a pair of skis proudly attached to a strangers feet.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Black Crows is an alpine and skiing brand, whose logo was created by Yorgo Tloupas 11 years ago. The "chevron" became the emblematic symbol of the brand, used across all of the products: as pattern on the skis and poles range and as details on the textile collection. This brand identity was applied to all retail and merchandising displays, to ad campaigns and any communication tool since 2007, as well as on website, promotional cars and even for a music festival.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Black Crows early skies were specifically designed for big mountain or free skiing, essentially leaving the planned trails behind and literally heading off piste. Well placed to know what is needed out there. The brand was born as a response to a specific location: its home base of Chamonix.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: With 83 models produced since 2006, today the small Chamonix brand has well and truly grown up and now has a strong presence internationally.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The black crows story is foremost about a group of friends determined to fulfill their ambitions and unafraid to challenge the norm. During the winter of 2005, Camille Jaccoux and Bruno Compagnet, two professional skiers and long-time friends, dreamt of a ski which would be the antithesis to the skis then on offer in the freeride ski market. Their vision was a powder ski which combined a wingspan big enough to withstand high-speed turns and a shape which could endure sudden changes in direction. They called their friend Yorgo to become the black crows art director.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Founded just over a decade ago, Black Crows early skies were specifically designed for big mountain or free skiing, essentially leaving the planned trails behind and literally heading off piste.
TAGS: skis, chevron, Chamonix Mont Blanc, branding, geometrical pattern, op art, color block
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The intent from the start was to create a ski brand completely apart from the codes of the industry, which vary between vaguely technical racing graphics and hand-drawn gothic visuals inspired by skateboarding culture. Yorgo wanted to build a brand with a strong principle: every single piece of design, from the skis to the poles, from the clothes to the architecture, would be created using only the chevron, from which the logo is built. Six chevrons form a squadron of birds, and that angular shape is the founding block of anything branded black crows.
CHALLENGE: From the start we wanted to create a new ski brand completely apart from the traditional graphic codes of the skis industry. The main challenge for us has always been to follow the same path, using the same minimal principles, meanwhile innovating graphically every season. Avoiding to follow common graphic trends such as gradients, 3-D effects, trendy typefaces, has also been one of our brand guideline.
ADDED DATE: 2018-06-11 10:17:55
TEAM MEMBERS (4) : Brand director and co-founder: Camille Jaccoux, Pro-skier and co-founder: Bruno Compagnet, Main investor and co-founder: Christophe Villemin and Designer: Dany Wang
IMAGE CREDITS: Image #1 : Photographer Julien Regnier, 2016. Image #2 : Photographer Grégoire Alexandre, 2017. Image #3 : Photographer Black Crows, 2017. Image #4 : Photographer Benoit Linero, 2016. Image #5 : Photographer Grégoire Alexandre, 2016.
Video Credits : Black Crows, 2017.
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