--- title: "Athletic Hearts: A sport lifestyle identity built to travel" description: "Culture Cartel built the Athletic Hearts brand from the ground up in Johannesburg: visual identity, design system and digital presence for sport lifestyle." canonical: https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/athletic-hearts language: en-CA publisher: Culture Cartel --- # Athletic Hearts A sport lifestyle brand with an identity built to travel. - **Client:** Athletic Hearts - **Format:** Brand - **Industry:** Sport and Lifestyle - **Location:** Johannesburg, South Africa - **Year:** 2022 ![Athletic Hearts apparel: a green gradient sweatshirt and a printed T-shirt](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_3836c773dd954ee7-2000.webp) Services - Positioning - Identity design - Brand systems Practice - [Strategy & Brand](https://www.culturecartel.ca/services#brand) - [Design & Digital](https://www.culturecartel.ca/services#digital) [Start a project like this](https://www.culturecartel.ca/start?service=brand&ref=athletic-hearts) ## The brief Athletic Hearts is a sport lifestyle brand. Culture Cartel built its full identity from the ground up: visual identity, design system and digital presence, designed to work across product, content, campaign and culture. ## The insight Sport lifestyle is one of the most crowded branding territories there is. Nike, Adidas and a hundred challengers fight for the same cultural space every day. A good logo will not break through that. A genuine point of view might. So we started with what the brand believes, not what it looks like. The giants sell winning. Athletic Hearts could own something more everyday: training as part of how you live. ## The work ### The core belief We built the brand around one idea: sport is a way of living, not just a way of competing. Everything else follows from it. ### Visual identity A sharp, modern kettlebell shield mark that reads clearly at any size, from a wall sign to a cap. ### Design system A system built for consistency at scale, so the brand looks the same on a gym wall, a product tag and a phone screen. ### Merchandise range Caps, apparel, holdalls, vests and gym towels, each carrying the mark with confidence in the gym and on the street. ### Stationery and brand presentation A stationery pack and a brand presentation that set out the thinking behind the identity, so the rollout had a clear rationale behind it, not just a set of files. ## The result A brand with the bones to grow into something genuinely significant. It holds its edge on product, in content and in campaigns, and it is ready to travel. Project highlights ![Athletic Hearts kettlebell shield logo on a wall-mounted sign](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_dfffa11da1fb4406-2000.webp) 01 / Athletic Hearts kettlebell shield logo on a wall-mounted sign ![Chrome Athletic Hearts badge embossed on a dark surface](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_3149c84331be46d5-1200.webp) 02 / Chrome Athletic Hearts badge embossed on a dark surface ![White snapback cap with the Athletic Hearts logo](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_2fb1d3d1675542e3-1200.webp) 03 / White snapback cap with the Athletic Hearts logo ![Athletic Hearts holdall and gym bags in red, white and blue](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_35cc33d98e2e4064-1200.webp) 04 / Athletic Hearts holdall and gym bags in red, white and blue ![Athletic Hearts vests, towels and kit bag](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_adffd9e13ecf42d3-1200.webp) 05 / Athletic Hearts vests, towels and kit bag ![Athlete with a navy Athletic Hearts gym towel over the shoulder](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_4c6ee9a98a1d491b-2000.webp) 06 / Athlete with a navy Athletic Hearts gym towel over the shoulder ![Red Athletic Hearts towels on the brand merchandise page](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_f827fdf7a0fa460d-1200.webp) 07 / Red Athletic Hearts towels on the brand merchandise page ![Athletic Hearts stationery pack with letterhead and business cards](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_8ce2522461ab4184-1200.webp) 08 / Athletic Hearts stationery pack with letterhead and business cards ![Creating the Brand page showing the logo being drawn by hand](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_e39dd5df26144a77-2000.webp) 09 / Creating the Brand page showing the logo being drawn by hand Results described qualitatively. ## Start a project like this. Positioning, identity and senior judgement that make you the obvious choice. Tell us where you are and where you need to be. [Start a Project](https://www.culturecartel.ca/start?service=brand&ref=athletic-hearts) [Ask about this project](https://www.culturecartel.ca/lens?mode=ask&ref=athletic-hearts) Related work - [Finery Guru](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/finery-guru): Premium fashion retail. Built to look the part and convert. · Brand / Fashion and Retail / Johannesburg / 2021 - [The Lab](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/the-lab): A neighbourhood coffee shop, shaped into a lifestyle destination. · Brand / Retail and Food / Johannesburg / 2021 - [Linda Lemon](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/linda-lemon): A creator brand built with corporate rigour. · Brand / Food and Lifestyle Content / Johannesburg / 2020 [Next project Laker Lures A catalogue that sells the brand before the buyer touches a lure. Keep scrolling](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/laker-lures) --- Culture Cartel, 8 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON M5E 0A6. info@culturecartel.ca, +1 647 459 2154. Start a project: https://www.culturecartel.ca/start