SOFA Brand

Overview

SOFA™ stands apart in their passion and commitment to meeting the need for a higher-performing gear set in the MX performance apparel market. Our partnership with SOFA™ spanned the entire online brand experience as an extension of their newly established logo, equipping them for a successful go-to-market launch of their exciting new range of products. Our project success was driven by a goal of presenting the product for what it is: an exciting and progressive offering, setting a new standard for rider gear in the MX industry.

Our Role

Challenges

In bringing something totally new to market, the challenge at hand was always going to be in how to impact-fully present and effectively display the products. With a team experienced in the outdoor industry, and a passion for the adventure sports, we were well equipped to cultivate a compelling and relevant expression of the brand. A secondary challenge was in extending the brand beyond the single logo into a messaging and identity design which would separate SOFA™ from its competitors while identifying it as an exciting new player in motocross gear. While the MX industry typically leans towards a more aggressive aesthetic, our goal was to broaden the appeal of the brand while ensuring it remained industry relevant.

Design

SOFA™ allowed us a lot of freedom in the expansion of their brand, and we applied this flexibility by considering how we could push a progressive look and feel for this exciting range of products. Beginning with examining how we might move away from dark, intense and overly masculine tones, we explored the incorporation of lighter, minimalistic and modern design elements. The design establishes a distinct identity while being minimal enough not to distract from the showcase of the brand and the actual product – both in the studio and live-action photography.

As an e-commerce site with a goal of selling products, the user experience is highly focused on the products. In fact, the products needed to be the highlight of the entire site and we wanted to showcase them in a way which wasn’t standard for e-commerce sites. In the best interest of the consumer and revenue, the client had the a goal of selling full gear kits vs. individual products. This in mind, we designed a literal presentation of the products as a full kit; while you can purchase items separately, the products themselves (which consist of jerseys, pants, and gloves) are marketed as ‘kits’. Further, the photography and content surrounding the products throughout the website, and on the product pages, is a branded and customized experience.

Content Strategy

Client-provided copy was infused with target keywords to allow SOFA™ to effectively compete with their direct and aspirational competitors. Finding a balance between the visual products and the on-page copy, our goal was to display their innovative products, translate the features of the SOFA™ ZipTek Series, and reinforce the many benefits of this exciting new MX gear.

Development

The website was built on WordPress and BigCommerce with custom development, designed to be a unique e-commerce solution. As such, additional development time was spent on custom sections, including an interactive product tech showcase. Further, the e-commerce product kitting selling kits containing a jersey, pants, and gloves instead of individual products – required a thorough development strategy for optimum front-end use and back-end functionality.

Results

SOFA™ set out to provide the motocross market with the highest quality, highest performing set of moto gear. Our web team of experts in strategy, design, content, and development excitedly joined them on that journey, building a website to match their commitment of quality and performance. With their impactful e-commerce website, SOFA™ successfully launched their brand and product to the world on schedule. From their first day live, they are making some serious waves in the industry, challenging the cutting-edge and delivering the best for MX riders. They continue to build their awareness and invite riders to be part of the industry’s gear redesign and to experience what ride-wear should really deliver.