The challenge with creating a visual identity for a CrossFit box is creating something that could appeal to two very different types of audience: the regular CrossFitter who takes their training seriously and the local who's maybe never set foot in a box before but is curious enough to give it a go. The brand needed to feel credible and bold, without being so intimidating that it put people off.
The result is a brand that feels genuinely local. It's bold enough to look great on gym kit and signage, but it's got that extra layer of meaning for anyone who knows Burton. Every element has meaning, and the whole thing tells a story that could only belong to this gym, in this town.
crossfit burton
Burton has a brewing heritage that goes back to the 1700s. It's everywhere once you start looking — The Brewers (Burton Albion's nickname), Coopers Square shopping centre and the Bass Brewery triangle that's been part of the town's identity since 1777. It felt wrong to ignore all of that, so I leaned into it.
The identity centres around three stacked beer barrels, to represent the three foundations of CrossFit: strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, and functional movement. The top barrel is also part of a kettlebell, a fundamental piece of equipment within the CrossFit community. The triangle is a quiet nod to the Bass Brewery logo, and the dark blue and deep yellow is similar to the Brewers colour scheme whilst keeping it's own identity.
KEEPING IT HOMEGROWN
When the owners of CrossFit Burton got in touch asking me to create the logo suite for their soon to be opened CrossFit box, I jumped at the chance. I've lived in Burton upon Trent my whole life, I love training and CrossFit has always been about community — so working with a local business just made complete sense.