Jeremy Lin
Gearing up a Sports Icon and Philanthropist for Multinational Growth
Services
Brand Architecture
Positioning
Visual Identity System
Collateral Design
Linsanity! Everyone followed the story of the unknown NBA player coming off the bench and lighting up Madison Square Garden. Game after game, Jeremy Lin was unstoppable. Since that first game with the Knicks, Lin’s status has grown globally. Our team created a brand platform that translates across cultural contexts and settings, from North America to Asia and from shoe deals to community activism.
Background
Stewarding fame and values
Jeremy Lin wholeheartedly and thoughtfully embraces the “role model” status that some athletes push aside.
Lin stewards his fame to start youth camps in China, create philanthropic opportunities in Asia, advocate for social justice issues, and champion AAPI causes in the California community where he grew up.
The Jeremy Lin team, known as JL7, partnered with us to architect and design a brand solution that unifies Lin’s personal positive values, JL7’s business goals, and complex multinational applications around a common theme.
Insights and Approach
A platform to elevate Lin’s inspirational message
We spent time talking with JL7’s key partners. And, we met some hardcore #7 fans. We learned that Lin’s hard work, strength, and “never finished” attitude stands out to people. When you couple this with his inspirational message, a powerful combination emerges for the JL7 brand.
Our team built on that unique mix of attributes and values and designed a brand platform that included positioning, architecture, and an enhanced visual expression. This work now guides the JL7 team across their core activities and products throughout the world.
Visual Identity
Strong core, flexible periphery
JL7 works across a diverse range of activities, partnerships, and contexts. As a result, the existing brand became fragmented and unwieldy—particularly with the addition of new partnerships.
We unified and organized the brand by building an architecture with a strong master brand at the core. The architecture extends the master brand to allow for flexibility across multiple partnerships and use cases. Visually, we anchored to the master brand and then extended the identity across the various brand touchpoints. Both the brand strategy and visual identity allow for JL7 to continue to grow with new partnerships and opportunities.
Visual Motif
The Path
Life’s path has ups and downs. But, a good path helps you overcome obstacles and move you forward in a positive way.
A brand as big as the heart behind it
JL7 is active in philanthropies, influencer engagements, merchandising, and apparel around the world. The brand architecture allows for sub-brands to feature their unique qualities while maintaining a consistent visual language across all of the JL7 activities.
One of JL7’s key focus areas is the Jeremy Lin Foundation. Our team built the Foundation’s identity based on the master JL7 brand and then added some visual elements that make it unique and customizable.
Brand Guidelines
Applying the JL7 Brand
The JL7 brand was developed to share Lin’s story, heart, and image. The guidelines provide an inspiring north star and consistent framework to align the JL7 core team and their partners: from a youth basketball league in China to a major athletic apparel company.
Patricia Sun, CEO of JL7 Marketing