Enhancing Brand Visuals and Campaign Impact for a Triathlon Brand (2018)
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Zone3 sought support with their marketing campaigns, including email marketing and social media efforts, for a period of one month. Early in my career, I was responsible for creating on-brand, consistent graphics that accurately represented the company’s ambitions at that time, which centred on becoming the highest-rated triathlon brand in the world. This involved understanding Zone3’s core values and target audience to craft visuals that reinforced their positioning and drove engagement across multiple channels.
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I collaborated closely with the Brand Manager to develop graphics for four distinct campaigns, as well as for multiple email newsletters and social media posts. This experience provided invaluable insight into marketing strategies and principles, many of which continue to influence and enhance the quality of my work today.
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As a design intern, my responsibilities included producing campaign graphics, photo editing, packaging designs, copywriting, and various other design tasks. I collaborated closely with the brand manager to ensure visual consistency across all materials, maintained attention to detail in every project, and adapted design elements to suit different platforms and target audiences. This role allowed me to develop my technical skills in Adobe Creative Suite and enhance my ability to communicate messages effectively through both visual and written content.
Background and Objectives.
In 2018, as a design and marketing intern, I joined the World’s highest rated triathlon brand with a focus on elevating their marketing visual assets. Working in close partnership with the Brand Manager, I contributed to five distinct marketing campaigns running from August to November 2018. My responsibilities extended beyond campaign graphics to include social media and email photo editing, product photography, and editing images of prominent triathletes endorsed by the brand.
1. Develop compelling, on-brand graphics for multiple marketing campaigns, platforms, uses and screen sizes.
2. Enhance engagement across social media and email platforms through optimised photography.
3. Produce high-quality product photography for e-commerce to drive sales conversions.
4. Support brand credibility by showcasing well-known triathletes with signature products and wearing the brand during triathlons.
The Big Summer Sale.
Dates: August 2018
Objective: Promote up to 25% discount on select Zone3 wetsuits to boost sales before the season’s end.
Design Strategy: The Brand Manager defined the overall style and colour scheme. I was tasked with aligning graphics, photography and typography with an auxiliary graphic element to complement the colour scheme.
Visual Development: I selected a customised ice cream graphic incorporating the brand’s colours to evoke summer enjoyment and urgency, symbolising limited stock availability. This visual metaphor helped convey that once sold out, the products would not be replenished, encouraging immediate purchase.
I used animation for the melting ice cream graphic to reinforce the sense of urgency. The flashing colours were incorporated to create a scroll-stopping effect, effectively capturing attention and increasing engagement.
Impact: The fresh and inviting design attracted attention, contributing to strong sales performance during the campaign period.
Swimming with the Pros.
Dates: 31 August – 1 September 2018.
Objective: Drive awareness and engagement for a high-profile triathlon event.
Design Strategy: Employed the brand's signature colour palette prominently alongside bold typography to ensure the promotional content cut through social media feeds.
Visual Development: I chose to maintain symmetry throughout the design, positioning larger words at the bottom to draw the viewer’s attention effectively. The event details, including the date and location, were enclosed within an orange box, aligning with the brand’s colour scheme and ensuring this critical information stands out clearly.
Impact: The campaign achieved increased visibility and interaction across platforms, supporting event attendance and community engagement.
The Ex-Demo Clearance.
Dates: September 2018
Objective: Offer discounted wetsuits previously used as demo units, targeting budget-conscious customers.
Design Strategy: Maintain consistency with campaign themes while clearly communicating the clearance nature to avoid customer confusion over product condition.
Visual Development: We retained the on-brand graphics from the previous campaign to maintain visual consistency. However, this time we chose a different font to give the overall design a fresh and updated feel, while still aligning with the brand’s identity.
This subtle change enhances readability and modernises the look without compromising recognisability. I incorporated model photos within the campaign for the first time which helped to create a more relatable and engaging experience for the audience. This allowed them to better connect with the products and the overall message.
Added Value: The Ex-Demo Clearance event held in Surrey, UK, featured my graphics on several promotional boards. These visual displays contributed to the overall marketing strategy, enhancing the event's professional appearance. The use of high-quality graphics helped communicate important information effectively, supporting the successful clearance of ex-demonstration products.
Impact: The campaign successfully attracted price-sensitive buyers and helped clear demo stock efficiently.
The Huge Prize Giveaway.
Dates: October 2018
Objective: Attract new customers and reward loyal consumers through an enticing prize draw.
Design Strategy: Maintain consistency with campaign themes while using product images of items to win to draw attention and encourage participation.
Visual Development: We returned to core brand graphics and typography to reinforce the established visual identity, building trust and recognisability. Animation was once again used to capture audience attention on social media, proving its enduring effectiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Impact: The cohesive and professionally executed visuals contributed to heightened participant engagement and brand loyalty.
The Black Friday Sale.
Dates: November 2018
Objective: To develop a compelling campaign that aligns with the success of a leading competitor’s global campaign from 2017, reinforcing brand presence in a competitive market and capturing consumer attention effectively.
Design Strategy: Retain the campaign name "Blackout" to leverage existing brand recognition inspired by the competitor’s successful campaign.
Visual Development: Incorporation of subtle animation to core design elements, creating movement that was eye-catching yet aligned with the brand’s neutral tone and style. The visual aesthetic maintained a clean, professional look to support clear communication while standing out in a crowded marketplace.
Impact: Retaining the "Blackout" name allowed the campaign to tap into existing consumer awareness, facilitating smoother market acceptance. Overall, the campaign balanced creative innovation with brand consistency, strengthening Zone3’s market positioning.
Photography and Editing.
I also engaged in:
Social Media & Email Campaigns: Optimised imagery to improve brand storytelling and visual appeal.
Product Photography: Captured and refined high-quality images for the e-commerce platform, enhancing product presentation and customer confidence.
Triathlete Photography: Edited images featuring well-known triathletes with their signature products, elevating brand authenticity and aspirational appeal.
Outcomes and Value Delivered.
1. Developed a suite of engaging, on-brand marketing graphics that supported multiple successful campaigns within a short time frame.
2. Contributed to increased sales and event participation through targeted visual strategies.
3. Improved overall brand consistency and recognition across digital platforms.
4. Strengthened e-commerce sales through professional product imagery optimised for online shopping.
5. Enhanced brand credibility by showcasing authentic athlete endorsements with polished visuals.
The collaborative approach combining brand management oversight with my creative expertise in graphic design and photo editing delivered high-value marketing assets for the triathlon brand. This work not only drove measurable commercial results but also reinforced a strong, consistent brand identity that resonated with target audiences.
Testimonial.
“Simon interned at Zone3 for one month and became an integrated member of the team almost immediately. Simon is hardworking, calm under pressure and the quality of his work is 1st class! Simon and I worked closely on a number of marketing campaigns and he bought many brilliant ideas to the table. Each task I set was easily achieved and I'd say with confidence that Simon's skill level with the Adobe suite was a valuable asset to Zone3 and for any company fortunate enough to hire him in the future!”
- Harry Swinhoe, Brand Manager.