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Human on Wheels
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Rebranding
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Wheelers After All
Year
2022
Industry
Media
Scope of Work
Brand Strategy \ Visual Identity \ Brand Expression \ Packaging System \ Packaging Development \ In-Store Guideline \ Set Direction \ Styling \ Brand Guideline '
Human On Wheels (HOW) originated from the founder's personal passion and hobbies, blossoming organically. With a keen interest not just in automotive, she ventured into diverse realms of wheeled activities including biking, roller-skating, skateboarding, and more. In an industry predominantly occupied by males, she observed that individuals passionate about different types of wheels formed their own unique communities. Inspired by this, she envisioned a community media platform where 'wheelers' could connect, share their interests, and expand their networks. This idea aims to unite enthusiasts from various wheel-based disciplines, fostering a broader, more inclusive community.
"They're not just a consultant; they truly embody professionalism. They handled our project with such care and a profound understanding of our needs. It felt like having a friend by our side who not only 'gets' us but also wholeheartedly supports our business growth."
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Nisa Arby
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Founder of Human on Wheels
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Challenge
Our research, aligned with Deloitte's findings on the 2030 media landscape, uncovers a distinctive trend in the Indonesian media sector gravitating towards a 'Creator’s Heaven' model. This model profoundly impacts branding and monetization strategies, flourishing in an environment with fragmented media landscape and modest profit margins. It encourages an open culture of collaboration, where local creators and intellectual property owners become key players, benefiting from direct connections with media consumers. Moreover, our research anticipates a decrease in the effectiveness of traditional advertising methods, suggesting that relevance will be maintained only through highly targeted strategies. This shift underscores the importance of active direct engagement between creators and consumers in Indonesia's evolving media ecosystem.
A significant mindset shift is necessary. Whereas traditional media focused on providing audiences with necessary and desired information for informational and entertainment purposes, today's media landscape demands a more expansive approach. In this new context, traditional monetization methods are basic requirements, with hyper-relevance and community building becoming crucial elements. Moving forward, nurturing community engagement and unlocking intellectual property emerge as paramount strategies in Indonesia's dynamic media sector.
Insight
HOW's past success is deeply rooted in its perceptiveness to wheeler communities. Unlike most typical media in its field, it emphasizes the emotional narrative of people on wheels, rather than mere specifications, prices, or performance. HOW believes that behind every wheel, there is passion and personal stories that make enthusiasts' hobbies meaningful. These experiences often extend to a network where everyone feels instantly connected due to shared enthusiasm. In short, HOW shares a human-side perspective, showing that people on wheels are more than their rides or hobbies, but emotional beings finding meaning in their enthusiasm.
Our exploratory research on HOW’s current and potential audience reveals that these qualities are noticeable as HOW’s distinctive appeal, especially to those following various wheel-related hobbies, including automotive, biking, and skating. This understanding brings a new approach to creating value around these hobbies, emphasizing emotional significance beyond just price.
Idea
Delving deeper into the brand, initiated by women, HOW brings a unique perspective to the media. It aims to defy the notion of wheels as a 'big boy toy' by spotlighting more women. Amidst COVID-19, HOW empathized with the less fortunate around wheels and initiated a social program to enable fortunate wheelers to help those on the streets. Our discussions with HOW lead to a higher brand ambition, where HOW is not only providing a more humanist approach to content but also creating betterment for the future.
This aligns with the history of the wheel itself, considered one of the most organic human advancements in easing goods mobility through rotating axles and solid wood discs. Its design has evolved, but since its inception, it has brought betterment to human civilization, from functional to emotional impact.
Movement is an attitude that resonates between HOW as media, its key object ‘wheels’, and what its communities value. Hence, we envision HOW becoming a media movement, uniting communities around the road for a better experience and civilization building. The new direction for HOW as a brand is encapsulated in its essence 'Wheeler after all', which is also used as a brand tagline. It signifies togetherness, uniting everything around the brand's vision and its future, to join various conversations related to wheel-related issues. This approach positions HOW as a hub connecting wheelers for collaborative initiatives with impactful themes, covering Gender Equality, Welfare, ESG: Vehicle Diversification, Road Safety, Public Space, and other community interests. Those are just a few highlights of the strategy we are permitted to reveal. What’s next? Stay tuned for their upcoming content.
Logo
To accommodate the strategy, we have incorporated versatility and a street-inspired visual identity. The "Human on Wheels" logo is designed to symbolize the spirit of movement and unity among road users. The central 'O' represents a wheel in motion, and the 'W's behind it are designed to look like smoke marks from a moving vehicle. The design's dynamic contrast and motion embody the brand's dedication to creating a vibrant and inclusive community of travelers. This emblem captures the essence of travel and community, illustrating the brand's journey toward collective progress.
Colors
Our logo's primary color is a vibrant red, symbolizing our community's energetic and united spirit. This bold red gives our brand an iconic and memorable identity. We've paired it with classic white and black; white brings a clean, inviting feel, and black gives a sense of elegance and strength.
Visual Expression
The visual expression of the brand is inspired by the principle of movement, specifically the transition through a vehicle's gearbox. The design reflects the progressive nature of changing gears—each step up represents an increase in intensity and momentum. As we shift from gear one to gear six, the elements become more elongated and sheared, mirroring the acceleration and power of a vehicle as it moves through its paces.
