After taking the lead on several key projects and events for the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC), the established club's next move was potentially its most ambitious yet. Proposing to dedicate a memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in memory of all motorcycle despatch riders, both military and civilian, who have lost their lives or been seriously injured whilst riding in the course of their duties across the world, the club has its sights set on raising £500,000 to commission the project. They had their aim; we had the vision and the tools.
We swiftly kicked things into gear, putting our ideas together to create the new brand, develop the website that would be the base of operations for all those interested in taking part, and establish the right platforms to get their message out there so that the project can be seen, heard, and most importantly, engaged with. We turned the VMCC’s dream into a reality in just 64 hours time.
Coming up with various brand concepts, our studio team looked to find the right balance between a design that felt classic and true to the fundraising cause, paying homage to the rich history of British motorcycles and despatch riders. The was to be accessible globally, feeling modern and adaptable for an event that will last and continuously grow over the next 10+ years. With the classic colours of blue, gold, and white selected to create the connection with the already established colours of the VMCC, the new DTR brand was the perfect reference to the club and honouring what’s come before it, whilst simultaneously being strong enough to stand on its own, independently.
With the DTR brand needing to be launched asap to give it the best chance of generating interest in the event – a group ride from the National Motorcycle Museum to the National Memorial Arboretum – as well as making headway in their multi-year fundraising efforts, the team got to work straight away to beat the tight deadline. First up, was identifying the logo design on which all other assets and stages would be based.
The motorcyclist integrated into the logo was designed to reflect the historically accurate positioning of a despatch rider, giving the brand its true vintage feel and making it easily identifiable for all those who know their vintage motorcycle history that this is a brand, and a fundraising event, run by enthusiasts that has the best intentions of the vintage British motorcycle community at its core.
The goal of the all-new DTR website was to be stripped back and simple, yet effective in communicating its key messaging to those who visit. Staying away from overwhelming users with a barrage of information and various key links, the design for the website was based around ease of navigation, with all the proper information neatly packaged in a stylish design to match the new brand.
A landing page for the Duty to Ride cause, the new website was to function as a hub for all the relevant details concerning the event and the fundraising efforts, making it easy to use and understand for all those with potential interest in getting involved, whilst leaving plenty of room and potential for expansion. With proper links directing users to both the Eventbrite and Just Giving pages, as well as the new social channels, all that was left for the actual DTR website was to display everything in an easy-to-read, eye-catching manner that pulls the users in and pushes them in the right direction to support Duty to Ride going forward.
With key parts of the brand and website fully developed, signed off on, and ready for launch, we needed to target the right platforms that would help get the message out. With a strong community of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts inhabiting both Facebook and Instagram, they felt like the most natural and best-fitting social channels that we could incorporate to DTR's advantage.
Alongside creating engaging content, partnered with eye-catching bespoke graphics, we set up a Just Giving page for fundraising and an Eventbrite page for the official May 1st Duty to Ride event. Both platforms were selected for relative ease, putting the customer experience at the forefront of the service. We wanted both donating and registering for the event to be as accessible to everyone as possible, whilst also opening up the potential for expansion in future years and annual events. Ultimately, the goal of the four chosen platforms was to create engagement for the new brand, establish the right audience, and build a buzz for the inaugural event whilst encouraging those with a keen interest in motorcycle history to donate what they can to the DTR cause.
