Kaiola

Brand Identity

Where Style Meets Performance

Kaiola is a next generation of surf hats bridging style with performance. The brainchild of Barbara Kaiser, a German banker-turned-surfpreneur, Kaiola was designed to protect female and male surfers from the blazing hot sun, blinding glares and water splashes. So naturally the brand’s visual identity had to appeal to both tastes.

Our challenge going into this project was establishing an emotional ground for the brand. Kaiola isn’t an ordinary surf hat — far from it. It’s the first cool looking surf hat that can even withstand duck-diving and all kinds of wipe-outs! So clearly it served a role beyond protecting a surfer from the harmful effects of the sun. A single hat had the power to liberate a surfer’s minds from all the subliminal worries of being out in the open ocean with no protection. And that freedom, well, holds tremendous value... informing the identity under the creative idea of "Free the mind, feel the thrill", where we looked to create movement within a structured shape.

In preparation for the crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, we created several assets for the brand, that spanned from product features’ illustrations to label, look book, website, and instagram feed curation. We also took part in the development of the brand video, art directed the campaign photoshoot and ensured that all external communication was respectful of the brand’s tone of voice. Lastly, we designed and developed its e-commerce site! It was an exciting ride to say the least!