The story behind Liam Lawson’s distinctive brand

When Liam Lawson wanted a brand that encapsulated his persona, his racing type and his heritage, New Zealand-based graphic designers Harris Keenan and Oliver James stepped as much as the duty. With solely three weeks to deliver the idea to life final yr, the duo got down to create a singular brand that may stand other than the modern, monochromatic branding related to most different F1 drivers. The result’s a particular emblem that displays each Lawson’s fiery driving type and his pursuits off observe.

Keenan and James first linked with Lawson after creating the branding for the Los Angeles-based expertise company that represents him. The Crimson Bull driver curated a temper board, with the assistance of his staff, that includes a mixture of streetwear manufacturers, iconic racing visuals and design references from different industries. “We wished to make it possible for the model was greater than simply racing, and that it may very well be used for a lot of issues sooner or later,” Keenan defined.

The brand they devised options an illustrated character resembling Lawson with a cheeky grin, a mischievous look in his eye, and a vibrant pink backwards cap. Apparently nevertheless, the character was initially conceived in Lawson’s head, lengthy earlier than he ever stepped foot on the F1 grid. 

“He is been drawing the character for a few years,” Keenan mentioned. “He gave us a little bit sketch drawing that he did himself… and we wished to maintain it actually easy, however we added the cap and the little cheeky grin.”

The preliminary design featured spherical, pleasant eyes, however after submitting the property, Keenan had a second of reconsideration. “I known as Liam’s social media supervisor and mentioned, ‘We have to change the eyes and make them extra menacing, extra aggressive… as a result of that’s how he drives and the way he operates on the observe’.” That tiny adjustment helped strike the steadiness between Lawson’s easygoing persona away from the F1 paddock and his fierce competitiveness behind the wheel.

James mentioned he “loves the dichotomy” of the model they created. “It’s fairly unassuming, it is a little bit bit cute and playful, however then on the race observe he is truly this loopy menace, so I just like the steadiness between these two sides of him,” he mentioned.

James additionally famous that the design temporary prolonged past motorsport to Lawson’s different attainable pursuits. “He’s very serious about trend and music as nicely,” the illustrator defined. “So I feel these are the issues that they need to develop the model into finally.”

The pair additionally envision the brand evolving over time. “OBB Media was one among our references,” James went on. “They’ve this character that has developed over time and now turns into an icon in numerous eventualities. I feel Liam and his staff appreciated the malleability of having the ability to have the character remodel or shift into no matter it must be in that second.”

Whereas the preliminary design section is full, Keenan and James consider they’re solely scratching the floor of what’s attainable. “We need to preserve constructing on it sooner or later,” James mentioned. “It’s meant to transcend simply being on a helmet, and that’s what we’ve been chipping away at within the background.” Standing out from the pack of sharp, minimalistic logos was additionally a degree of nationwide satisfaction for the duo.

“He’s a Kiwi, we’re each Kiwis… and once we’re on the world stage, we need to make an influence,” Keenan mentioned. “We need to be seen and be heard, so we made certain that this brand was going to face out and be completely different from all the things else.”