Tony Robbins
Creating a purpose-driven brand for a purpose-driven man
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Services Brand Strategy, Verbal Identity, Visual Identity, Packaging Design, Website Design, Website Development, Creative Production, Social Identity, Persona Research, Deck Design
Project info
Challenge
Tony Robbins needs no introduction. For nearly five decades he’s been an iconic part of culture — coaching athletes, growing businesses, writing books, doling wisdom and tough love to touch hearts and inspire millions to take action. And yet, his brand had grown dated, disjointed, and heavily weighted towards live events.
With the rise of modern contemporaries in the business and life performance space, the Tony Robbins brand needed a change. The challenges were many — evolve to meet the realities of new channels and a modern audience while paying homage to a legacy; create structure with flexibility to accommodate an expansive library of content and events; and capture the essence of Tony Robbins in every touchpoint beyond the stage.
Solution
The answer? Make the brand even larger than the man.
For decades the brand has relied on the magic of Tony Robbins in person. However, Tony Robbins' true magic is not in transforming your life for you, but in liberating you on your path to transformation. In discovery we heard about the importance of a person’s agency and what happens when you remove the thing that is holding them back – be it fear, lack of knowledge, limiting beliefs or old habits. It’s not magic, it’s mastery.
So we positioned the Tony Robbins brand as a Mentor Liberator — a trainer and champion for others’ empowerment. A brand that can free someone from destructive patterns and limiting beliefs. A brand built on humanity, guidance, and mastery. In turn, we strategically distanced the brand from a guru perception in support of inner courage — where personal transformation is the proof, not the promise.
Next, we set out to create a brand system that could establish brand cohesion and embrace simplicity, all while leaving room to flex across different mediums and use cases.
For the many events and programs under the Tony Robbins umbrella, we created a process in which two type families, a color system, and a few basic rules could be used to create an endless supply of lockups for both current and future offerings.
The simplicity of this system allows for freedom within a framework, granting the flexibility to dial the volume of the visuals up or down depending on the specific event or program.
Then we introduced a modular visual treatment to bring the Mentor Liberator archetype to life, using motion to show growth and change. The design incorporated a more interesting use of photography and video, showcasing the breadth of the brand and the power and inspiration behind it.
