Since launching in 2018 as a platform for buying and selling coveted sneakers, Laced has evolved into an industry-leading luxury goods marketplace.
Last year Laced commissioned SomeOne to fully overhaul their strategic, verbal and visual BrandWorld.
From the world’s finest auction houses to the most codified streetwear hubs, reselling sneakers and other contemporary, limited edition items writes headlines around the world featuring staggering prices. But these marketplaces do little to welcome wider audiences, excluding a huge majority. Laced looks to be the first brand able to straddle an aficionado mindset with simplicity of use — opening up the brand to keen but previously uninvited customers.
After an extensive consultation process SomeOne arrived at a new strategy that positioned Laced as a trusted expert in all things luxury — We found that the firm stands by a simple but potent premise, ‘Promises, Delivered.’
Essential in all luxury goods is knowing the real thing when you see it — and proving it.
Laced offers rigorous authentication of all items that pass through the organisation — we saw it for ourselves — their experts deploy everything from serial numbers to smell.
When they promise that something is the real thing, they deliver on that promise (and have it delivered).
From Edgar Degas paintings to Nike Dunk sneakers, when you’re buying, you want the real thing. Equally as a seller, complexity and unreliability radically hinders progress. Our new strategy ‘Promises Delivered’ embodies the two sides of their story — the promises made surrounding authenticity — and the safe arrival and delivery of those promised items.
Designed using the all-new bespoke typeface, the updated Laced branding embodies a refined, assured and timeless construct.
The new typography offers an immediate visual anchor for the branding. The custom designed character sets replace previous approaches as a new benchmark in the sector for expertly curated, verified and delivered purchases.
The new BrandWorld is built upon two typefaces exclusively designed for the project.
Laced Sans is functional, open and simple, while Laced Serif is more expressive and reserved to creatively highlight headline moments for the brand.
Importantly, both Laced Sans and Serif are highly readable in both upper and lowercase, allowing the user to fully immerse themself into content without obstacle.
Ink traps in the Laced Sans ensures a clean overall aesthetic at all sizes on all media, while signature cuts on the Serif adds a flair and ownability in a notoriously similarly branded sector.
“Laced Sans and Laced Serif. Both distinct and impactful, each is used to complement different elements of the user’s needs. Competitor brands seem to swallow the cool of the products they sell, Laced is more intelligently focused on delivering a smarter, more authoritative editorial journey. ”
Inspired by NASA’s spacecraft parachute, the new Laced brand property represents the safe delivery of precious cargo to its final destination.
The unique radial design comes complete with segments that epitomise our progress and unique step-by-step approach to authenticating products.
The segments are pieced together to form a closed ring reflecting Laced’s dedication to security and trust.
Forming a key part of the new visual identity, the radial design will feature on all signature authentication tags.
“The beauty of the authentication symbol is in the flexibility of usage. From micro authentication tag to macro warehouse supergraphic, the symbol is effortlessly effective”
The new Laced colour palette is designed to elevate the brand to premium status. Yeezy White, Superstar Platinum and Air Jordan Black leave space for product imagery to be the centre of attention and, when combined with the new bespoke typeface, delivers an aesthetic that is distinct across the reselling market.
The new Laced identity is expressed through photography that puts real life at its centre.
Unlike the items they host, Laced aren’t influenced by trends, they focus on authenticity and see things through an optimistic lens.
Product remains at the forefront of photography and retains focus, while the art direction complements and enhances the subject of the image.
The rebranded photographic angle is further enhanced by a refined tone of voice.
With accessibility and simplicity at the forefront, Laced copywriting delivers through the use of welcoming, easy-to-understand language that shapes storytelling — curiously rare in the reselling sector.
SomeOne created a brand that completely delivered on our ambitious goals — it symbolises a pivotal moment in our journey of growth & expansion.
Thanks to all at Laced, Gareth, Paige, Sam, Rob and Danny.
SomeOne Team.
Simon Manchipp — Founder
Rich Rhodes — ECD
Beth Baines — Account Director
Ian Dawson — Senior Designer