Marten Van Riel is one of Belgium’s most promising triathletes, an official Red Bull athlete and currently ranked fifth in the world.
To support his climb to the top, we created a personal brand that doesn’t just express who Marten is as a triathlete, but also shows the upbeat nineties kid behind the athlete.
Sleep, eat, train, repeat. That’s basically the life of a pro triathlete. More than talent, you need an iron will and enormous discipline to triumph. As one of the toughest sports out there, physically and mentally, the triathlon is a non-stop battle against yourself, the competition and the elements.
Enter Marten Van Riel, a nineties kid and one big chunk of positive energy. Always up for a joke. Always relaxed. Bouncing around in this ultra-disciplined and performance-driven world. At the juncture of Marten’s abundant personality and the sport’s spartan nature, we found inspiration for his brand. It’s brought to life in ‘the RIEL world’, a visual universe taking cues from VCRs and nineties video games. As in: always-on, always high energy, never a dull moment.
The visual identity symbolizes Marten’s personality as it visually breaks into the real world in an unapologetically, upbeat way. We designed it so he can single-handedly bring it to life in his communication. Marten’s social media channels are the most obvious example. We created a set of stickers, filters, icons and merchandise for him, his management and fan base to apply in an effortless manner. Adding a branded GIF sticker to an Instagram story of a swim training, meal prep or race is enough to conjure ‘the RIEL world’ vibe.
In a race, Van Riel doesn’t hold back. If there’s a chance to spice things up, he’ll take it. This impulsive side is the basis for the logo. Inspired by a fast-forward icon, we designed a triple triangle logo representing Marten ‘fast-fast-forwarding’ to the finish. It also hints at the three disciplines of triathlon as well.
Bring
the heat
In designing Marten’s race outfit, we again built on his positive energy. Come race day that energy turns into scorching heat. He’s focused. Determined. Ready. And that’s exactly what this vibrant, eye-catching outfit design signals to his competitors.
