Hyperice is a leader in recovery technology and provides a range of products that deliver heat, cold, and/or vibrations to help relieve tension and unlock sore muscles.
They’ve built up traction with many elite athletes including the likes of Lebron James, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Russell Westbrook, and Lindsey Vonn.
In their journey to become a wellness brand and offer a more holistic approach, Hyperice acquired mental health company, Core, who invented a unique meditation training device and app.
Armed with the help of their celebrity athlete investors, Hyperice embarked on a new brand identity employing the services of Stockholm Design Lab.
Embracing Wellness
The move towards wellness allows Hyperice to expand their customer base. Rather than purely being seen as a sports brand offering sports-related products, they have intertwined the role of exercise into everyday lives.
There is also a perfect synergy between physical exercise and good mental health as studies have shown that exercise releases endorphins, and as such, helps relieve stress. Therefore, this is a perfect space for the brand to transition into.
The expansion also means Hyperice can target both professional athletes and the everyday athlete as it is putting the customers needs first. The new identity aims to form a sports community that brings people together regardless of whether you’re a running pro or enjoy the occasional jog.
Either way, Hyperice is there for you which is a powerful brand message.
“Our creative ambition takes on a fresh, energetic, and consumer-centric focus, with diverse content across dimensions of both sport and life. You’ll see our purpose not as a statement but truly in action, so whether you are competing for gold or simply navigating daily life, you’re a part of Team Hyperice.” – Andrew Samson, VP of Marketing at Hyperice
Credit to Under Consideration
An angry old logo
The words ‘angry’ and ‘wellness’ don’t really go together!
In fact, they’re at total opposite ends of the spectrum.
The old Hyperice logo didn’t follow the new direction the brand wanted to take, as there was a definite element of aggressiveness. I think this was mostly a result of the bold ‘V’ shape which previously sat on the top of the typeface.
This concept was made worse by the sticking out ‘R’ which unapologetically kicked out underneath the ‘I’. Not to mention all of the jagged edges and sharp spikes sticking out left, right, and centre. Whilst this might look hardcore, sporty, and extreme, it was definitely too loud for a brand trying to become more mainstream.
If Hyperice wanted to appeal to the everyday athlete as well as the pro, this needed to look more subtle and welcoming.
Credit to Under Consideration
A Softer Approach
The new logo is definitely in good shape.
It softens the brand, using Suisse from Swiss Typefaces to achieve an aesthetic which is clean and modern. Gone are the jagged edges and cross-directional shapes as this appeals to the everyday consumer.
It’s so much nicer and isn’t anywhere near as intense.
However, to still hint towards the sports market, and to avoid alienating their pro athlete client base, they have kept a glimmer of the edginess with the ‘H’ emblem. This is much more subtle and works really well alongside the typeface.
The ‘H’ is also separated to form an ‘I’ which emphasises the two words which make up the brand ‘Hyper’ and ‘Ice’.
It’s a perfect blend of captivating what the brand is all about, whilst appealing to a broad target market.
Credit to Under Consideration
All about Minimalism
There’s not loads to see on the brand, in the sense that it is very stripped back and minimalistic.
However, I think this is wise considering the fact that Hyperice wants to appeal to more consumers who will by nature, have varying tastes.
Also, to align with their focus on ‘wellness’, this requires communicating concepts such as peace, tranquility, and calmness. Therefore occupying the branding with lots of busy shapes and fancy fonts would go against what the brand is trying to achieve.
Whilst the result of the new identity isn’t super exciting, I don’t think that would be fitting.
Instead, it’s minimalist, sleek, and polished. My only critique would be the colour of the font of the product packaging. It sort of just blends into the grey background, and wouldn’t really encourage me to pick it up off the shelf.
I think they could have done more with this to instill a sense of motivation, which again, would have linked nicely back to their product.
Conclusion: Generating a lot of Hype: The Hyperice Rebrand Explored
All-in-all I think this is a well polished, sophisticated brand.
It ticks both boxes in the sense that it appeals to a wider demographic and doesn’t conflict with the idea of ‘wellness’.
This has been achieved through their choice of brand colours and simplistic design elements as it doesn’t shout in your face and in a way, makes you feel quite calm. The edginess has still been retained through the abstract ‘H’ shape which instills a sense of movement and energy to pull the branding back to the sports sector.
What are your thoughts on the Hyperice rebrand?
Do you feel pumped to go and buy one of these products?
