WEIRTON BJJ ACADEMY RE-BRAND

BIJONARI is an apparel and training gear brand focused on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes and students. In addition to selling our own line of products, we offer creative and production services to gym owners. The service side of BIJONARI gives gym owners the opportunity to create custom, branded training gear for their students. Weirton BJJ Academy in West Virginia approached us in 2022 in need of a no gi training gear set. As a newer program without an established visual brand, we were able to pitch an updated logo and brand system. The final product for this project was a custom set of rash guards and training shorts. Since 2022 we have continued to expand our design and manufacturing services to the local martial arts scene.

PROJECT TYPE:

Brand Identity Creation. Athletic Wear Design and Development.

ROLE:

Art Direction, Production

SKILLS:

Branding, Logo Design, Athletic Wear Design, Client Pitch

BRAND RESEARCH

ORIGINAL LOGO

The most significant issue with this logo is that there is no typography or word mark identifying Weirton BJJ. In addition, the illustration in the center is hard to read especially at a small size. The hard angles of the state outline combined with the black and red color palette gives a somewhat confrontational feeling. A significant amount of Weirton’s students come from their kids program, so a logo with a friendlier look and feel may benefit the business.

GYM LOGO RESEARCH

A circle logo seems to be popular with BJJ gyms. A circular embroidered patch is a common way gyms brand their gi and no gi training gear for competition. Our updated logo should include a strong typographic element, a circular configuration and still give an impression of West Virginia.