Helm Motorcycles
BRAND DESIGNER, ART DIRECTOR
A motorcycle brand for the West Coast rebel, reframing outdated stereotypes for the modern, inclusive era. Voice and imagery are full of Americana nostalgia, but without the whole ‘Hell’s Angels circa *that* Rolling Stone concert’ vibe. For surfers, skaters, or anyone with an adrenaline rush and a love for nature.
The Helm logo is steeped in the history of motorcycles, filled with strong letterforms and bold shapes. The subtle curve at the base emulates the chrome curves of a bike, and the monoweight strokes of each character harks back to the open road itself.
Secondary logos for Helm include the full title, Helm Motorcycles. Because the logo is often used across products, the ‘Motorcycle’ should only be used therefore in brand awareness campaigns or instances where the product offerings might not be immediately obvious.
Art Direction
Imagery was extremely important for this brand. It needed to evoke a rebellious attitude while working to re-define what ‘Americana’ could be — a perfect match with David Black’s stunning work. With such strong imagery to pair with, the black and white photos needed to be selected with extreme care. Each needed to stay gender neutral, place neutral and time neutral, while maintaining that same bold, rebellious and striking effect found in the color imagery.
The art direction and iconography were key in developing the Helm brand, and in order to create a true brand world, they needed to work together as a cohesive whole. In keeping with the spirit of an updated motorcycle brand steeped in the best parts of biker history, iconography was based in tattoo art. Unlike some of the older (and more outdated brands), these weren’t ‘skull and crossbones,’ but rather inspired by stick and poke tattoos that evoked the West.
Credits
Branding + Logo Design: Mekea Larson
Art Direction: Mekea Larson
Color Photography: David Black, Cerro Gordo;
Used with permission exclusively for application in a school project
Black + White Photography: Sourced via Pinterest and mono-processed
School project, Parsons 2019
Typefaces
Copperplate
Neue Haas Unica W1
