ARES UNIT

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN | BRAND IDENTITY

OVERVIEW

Ares Unit is a gym based in San Diego that holds a bi-annual fitness convention in the Downtown convention center. The gym’s mission statement revolves around motivating and working with SD locals through their fitness journeys. Any gym atmosphere can feel intimidating, but they excel in teamwork and collaboration. Ares Unit fiercely believes in the power of group workouts because of the unique synergy that is created by pushing one’s limit as a unit!

People’s fitness journeys are incredibly personal, however, I’ve experienced the benefit of performing in a group setting and the way it can elevate an individual’s performance if they are operating from the right mindset. Ares Unit truly characterizes all of the intense and inspiring fitness trainers who have helped me along the way.

SOLUTION

The concept of the brand is inspired by the fierce Greek deity Ares— also known as the god of war. The logo can be seen as a shield or spearhead depending on its vertical orientation. One of my initial inspirations for this project was Fit Athletic’s gym down in Mission Beach, SD. Their facilities have a luxe-feeling and are designed cleanly, so I aimed to incorporate that same level of quality into the Ares Unit brand and convention lobby model.

Much of the athletic brand imagery, contrastive color palette, and iconography are unified in the lobby space. People who are participating in the class marathon can pick these up from the octahedron kiosk in the lobby and purchase brand merchandise from the athletic gear kiosk. The logo itself serves as a wayfinding element on the lobby floor and I created a set of icons associated with the six different classes that are placed throughout the accompanying informational booklet.