Motorsport has always been close to our heart at HRZN, working with a Formula 1 driver is an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up!

To support the launch of Oscar’s new helmet for the season, along with a refreshed design, we were tasked with creating designs for an ice-themed merchandise collection.

First up was a concept to work from. We were given a fairly open brief, with snippets of the upcoming helmet design to help aid the creative direction. It became apparent early on that having an icey slogan would help communicate the visual identity, as well as Oscar’s demeanour on and off the track.

We created multiple design directions that would fit under the “ice” theme. Providing a concept of “Keep your cool” as the slogan that underpins the design. All designs had to work on t-shirts and hoodies while honouring the existing items on the store. The three main concepts we elected to propose were:

1. Fractured 81: Building on Oscar’s existing merchandise design and his driver number. We created a design that was minimal, sleek and showed off the fractured lines in multiple ways. The front of the design shows the new slogan and dates for this season, nestled between Oscar’s logo and a fresh motif of the fractured lines. On the back, a large 81 masks the fractured lines for impact and continuity across the design.
2. Cracking ice: Taking the concept and going for impact in a literal sense was the aim for this approach. We wanted to provide a more photo-realistic style, something the store didn’t have at the time, combining it with Oscar’s logo and the slogan. Several iterations of the design were provided, allowing for less or more literal interpretation of the ice theme.
3. Ice lolly Oscar: This option was the more playful of the designs. We created a thawing ice lolly made from Oscar’s name, with Oscar’s logo appearing just below the collar on the rear of the shirt/hoodie for a minimal approach. This approach was a riskier option, designed to cater to Oscar’s funny side as we see more of his personality shine week-on-week in Formula 1.

Ultimately the team went with option one for the final design. It aligned closer to existing designs across the site, was minimal in its approach and offered a synergy between the season-long merch and Oscar’s refreshed visual identity for his brand.