Case Study: rebel - Brand Identity in Motion
Making a brand move - even when nothing’s playing.
Making a brand move - even when nothing’s playing.
When rebel rebranded, it wasn’t just about a new logo. It was about creating a brand that could live, breathe, and move - especially in-store, where attention is fragmented and traditional media placements are fleeting.
We developed a series of high-contrast black-and-white motion idents - cinematic interstitials designed to act as distinctive brand assets and channel idents for Rebel’s in-store screen network. Think of them as logo loops with theatre: short, striking vignettes that created rhythm and atmosphere between campaign content while reinforcing the core brand identity.
Each piece was crafted for maximal visual impact. A cricketer smashes a ball through the screen, shattering it in a burst of animated motion. A swimmer cuts across the frame, leaving a trail of white bubbles against a black background. A tennis ball, coated in chalk, sends trails of powder into the air with every bounce. Battle ropes send plumes of white dust flying. A sprinter explodes off the line. No dialogue. No music. Just sound design, movement, and visual drama.
These weren’t just transitions - they were memory markers. Using high production values (via Conti Bros. Films), each ident became a branded moment in its own right - embedding rebel’s aesthetic in the minds of customers while elevating the store environment from transactional to immersive.
From a behavioural lens, the use of distinctive assets, salience cues, and pattern interruption helped reinforce brand recognition, even in passive contexts. These idents also served a practical function: creating continuity, pacing, and polish for the in-store media loop-filling dead space with branded energy.
Results:
38% increase in unaided brand recall in-store
22% lift in perceived premium positioning post-implementation
Idents used across 200+ stores nationally as part of the brand asset library
Increased shopper dwell time in footwear and apparel zones (via in-store path tracking)
Adopted by rebel internal teams as a visual brand signature across internal comms and seasonal creative
Why it worked:
In retail, the moments between the messages are often overlooked. Rebel’s idents made those moments unforgettable - branding the silence with motion, contrast, and confidence.