Project Podium: Building a Brand for the Next Generation of Rally Drivers

Written By Ryan Yates

The Challenge: A Great Idea with No Identity

Fergus Barlow, a local Mull lad and former Mull Rally winner, had a brilliant vision: he wanted to create a foundation to help junior drivers take on the infamous Beatson’s Building Supplies Rally Mull26 (Previously Mull Rally). He had the passion and the plan, but he was starting from scratch. No name, no logo, no brand, and no website. He came to us to build a motorsport brand that would demand attention.

1. Naming & Market Research

Before you can design a logo, you need a name that works. We sat down with Fergus to brainstorm ideas that checked three massive boxes:

  • It needed to relate directly to the goal of helping drivers win.

  • It needed a modern, cool feel that resonates in the service park.

  • It needed to rank highly on search engines (SEO).

After digging into market research and competitor analysis, we landed on the perfect fit: Project Podium.

2. Motorsport Logo Creation

With the name locked in, we moved into the design phase. We started by pitching five distinct logo mark concepts, experimenting with shapes that resembled movement, stage maps, trophies, flags, and the brand's initials.

After presenting the options, we locked in on the strongest concept which worked well because:

  • It feels fast: We used angled and skewed shapes to create a sense of forward movement, mimicking the visual style of heavy-hitting motorsport brands like F1, BBS, AMG, Alpine, and Alpinestars.

  • It tells the story: The bold shape clearly forms a "P" for Project Podium, but on second glance the base of the "P" also forms the steps of a winner's podium.

But we didn't just hand over a logo file and walk away. We used that winning design as the foundation to build out the entire Project Podium brand.

3. The Brand Identity & Style Guide

A logo is only as good as the brand behind it. We developed a visual identity built around that chosen logo, ensuring it worked for both print and digital:

  • Colour Palette: We chose a sharp, high-contrast mix of deep blues, black, and white that stands out on a livery and pops on a phone screen.

  • Typography: We paired the aggressive Gutsand Regular for headers with the clean, highly readable and useable Montserrat for body text.

  • The One-Pager: Because this is a tight, focused team, they didn't need a 50-page corporate brand book. We supplied a punchy, one-page brand style guide covering logo variations (light, dark, and social formats), colors, fonts, and a car sponsor mockup so they could get straight to work.

Project Podium’s One Page Brand Style Guide

4. Brand Collateral & Graphic Design

Once the look was nailed down, we rolled it out across everything Project Podium would need to look professional when pitching to drivers and sponsors. We created a full suite of brand collateral, including:

  • Sponsor proposal slide decks.

  • Social media templates and static posts.

  • Letterheads, email signatures, and brochures.

  • Video call backgrounds

5. Website Development & Launch

Finally, we needed a place for the brand to live online. We built the Project Podium website using Wix.

We chose Wix because of how incredibly easy it is to hand over. Fergus can jump in and update the site himself without needing to pay a developer every time he wants to add a news article. It also handles its own security updates and keeps monthly running costs to a minimum. To make sure the site packed a punch from the second it loaded, we shot and edited a dynamic hero banner video showcasing Fergus’s rallying career and the stunning Mull stages.

THE RESULT?

Check out the live site here: https://www.projectpodium.org/

Thinking about creating or revitalising your own brand?

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Ryan Yates