Project Scope: Identity / Apparel Design
Client: Lion & Gazelle Apparel
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.”
— Thomas Friedman
This quote by Thomas Friedman captures the primal voice and language of the Lion & Gazelle Jiujitsu clothing brand. The Japanese characters along the collar-line of the L&G rash guard leverages the Japanese origin of the sport, paired with the primal nature of competitive Jiujitsu.
Lion & Gazelle founder, Clint Smith is a loving husband, father of two, full-time machinery educator, and Brazilian Jiujitsu competitor. His mission was to create a brand for the ‘jiujitsu-minded’ community, that acknowledged the primal energy of life on the mats. The initiative was to create a logo and identity, along with a set of shirts and a competitor rash guard to launch.