Brand Purist • Branding projects • URTA

Brand strategy and design for Asian footwear connecting East and West

Overview

The founder of URTA reached out to Brand Purist to develop a new footwear brand inspired by London’s creative diversity.

We created a brand identity that represents a fusion of cultures and seeks to resonate with a young, fashion-savvy Chinese audience.

Fashion lifestyle photo of female model standing in front of colourful graffiti in Shoreditch, London, with URTA logo and ‘Cultural Fusion’ tagline overlaid.
  • URTA logo mark made up of angular shapes resembling the letters ‘U’ and ‘A’.
  • The URTA logotype is placed to the right of the mark.
1.

Brand research

We examined a wide range of popular British, European, American, and Asian footwear and fashion brands to help shape the direction for URTA.

To attract a young Chinese audience aged 18-30 who are open to new influences, the brand needed to be a trendsetter, celebrating and inspiring individualism. We focused the brand identity on Shoreditch, a creative hub in multicultural London.

  • Street in Shoreditch photographed at night. Young people walking past a cafe in Shoreditch. Female model wearing URTA shoes in Shoreditch, London. Young man walking in front of a row of shops in Shoreditch, London.
  • Close-up of street art depicting the word ‘Creative’. London Overground travelling across an overpass in Shoreditch, London. Four models wearing URTA footwear stand in front of vibrant graffiti in Shoreditch. Tall office building at the edge of the City of London.
  • Trendy Shoreditch restaurant filled with young people. Four young models wearing URTA trainers standing on Shoreditch street. Street art poster covering a wall in Shoreditch, London. Street food vendor tending to the grill.
2.

Brand strategy

A series of workshops helped us determine the brand’s purpose, core values and personality.

URTA celebrates individuality through future-focused fashion. Its brand values of being Progressive, Bold, and Collective express the exploration of the unbeaten path, inspiring fearlessness, and bringing individuals together into an inclusive movement.

Although URTA is a subsidiary of an established Chinese company, it was important to position it as a standalone footwear startup to allow it to follow its own trajectory.

Young man wearing an orange jumper with barbwire-like pattern constructed from elements of the URTA logo. Packaging concept for URTA footwear.
3.

Brand design

Walking the streets of Shoreditch, photographing its people and environments, shaped our design approach.

Industrial aesthetics, street art, geometric fonts, and bold graphics influenced our final output. We selected orange as the brand colour for its energy and underutilisation among fashion brands. The brand design strives for simplicity and impact.

Comp slips and business cards for URTA feature geometric artwork made up from the logo mark and a clean typographic style.
URTA flyer designs with geometric artworks and integrated photographs. Multiple flyer designs appear with brand expressions all derived from the logo but in different creative ways.
Logo design

The logomark is a combination of the letters “U” and “A”. It is made up of four individual pieces that give the impression of interlocking characters. The symbol lends itself to applications on footwear and clothing.

The URTA logomark constructed from the interlocking letters of ‘U’ and ‘A’.
Visual identity

The prominent orange colour is complemented by dark brown and grey to create a balanced look for the visual identity. When the logomark is used in patterns and other graphic artworks, it becomes a distinct, ownable brand asset.

URTA poster with geometric artwork and bold typography, designed for outdoor advertising.
4.

Brand implementation

Following the sign-off of our proposed designs, we assisted URTA during the roll-out of the brand. This included photography, print and digital design, and delivering brand guidelines.

Photography

We photographed lookbook and lifestyle images in Shoreditch, capturing the brand’s original, gritty, urban inspiration.

To emphasise the Shoreditch connection of the brand, each pair of shoes was named after streets they appeared on in the photos.

  • Close-up photo of blue women’s trainer shot for URTA’s lookbook.
  • Close-up photo of women’s trainer in yellow shot for the URTA lookbook in Shoreditch, London. Women’s trainer shot for URTA lookbook in Shoreditch.
  • Men’s white trainer shot for URTA lookbook. Close-up photo of men’s trainer in white shot for the URTA lookbook in Shoreditch, London.
  • Light blue trainer close-up shot for the URTA lookbook.
  • Trainers shot in East London for URTA lookbook. Men’s camouflage slip on shoes shot for URTA lookbook.
  • Close-up of women’s sneaker shot for URTA lookbook. Women’s sneaker shot for URTA lookbook.
Brand book

The brand book tells the origin story of URTA. The grid-based typographic layout is combined with vibrant images of Shoreditch and bold graphics.

Pages from URTA’s brand book describing the brand’s origin story. Pages from URTA’s brand book featuring lifestyle images.
Web design

We created URTA’s interactive website, featuring its brand ethos, lookbooks and products. Our partners at Octophin Digital built the site, bringing our designs to life exactly as intended.

Store design

URTA commissioned design concepts for their Shanghai store in preparationfor the brand launch. The visuals utilise URTA’s logo, lifestyle photography, graphic patterns, and the brand’s signature colour palette.

Design concepts of URTA’s footwear store exterior. Visuals of URTA’s footwear shop interior.
Brand guidelines

URTA’s brand guidelines summarise the brand strategy, including purpose, core values, and personality. They provide clear guidelines for logo, typography, and colour usage.

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