SAVAGE SOLUTIONS - BUBLR CASE STORY A BIKE NAMED BUBLR

Transcription

1 A BIKE NAMED BUBLR

2 WHAT S IN A NAME When Midwest Bikeshare was ready to launch their bikeshare program, they sought out Savage Solutions to help them build a brand that would resonate with the people of Milwaukee. We started by changing their name. 2

3 ENTER MIDWEST BIKESHARE, INC. Oh, you thought this was a story about those buoyant blue bicycles you see cruising the pavement of Milwaukee? It is. Just wait. Anyway, the story starts with a guy named Kevin Hardman, who was the Launch Director for Midwest Bikeshare, Inc. His job was to launch a bikeshare program in Milwaukee, and although Kevin really knew how to network and there were a lot of really great people wanting to help him launch his bikeshare, one individual pointed him in the direction of Savage Solutions. Enter Gary Witt, the Executive Director of the Pabst Theatre Group. He recommended Kevin talk to Cory. Because even though Cory s from Chicago like Gary, he s making strategic plays to help make Milwaukee a better place, a motto Cory tends to live by. So, Cory and Kevin went on a bike ride. And Cory - our fearless leader - won Kevin over with his honesty and tenacity for the project. 3

4 HOW MANY MINDS DOES IT TAKE TO NAME A BIKESHARE? A LOT, ACTUALLY. We researched the market and discovered that bikeshare was a fairly new concept in the U.S. With competitors like Divvy, Hubway, Capital Bikeshare and others, we knew we had to come up with something that would be unique to Milwaukee. And, since Kevin s initial objective was to create a brand that could be launched potentially via a corporate sponsor down the road, we brainstormed a name that could be paired with a corporation. 4

5 HELLO, MILWAUKEE BIKESHARE! Still not name you re looking for? Yeah, we know. Cory wasn t sold on the name either. He d been pushing Kevin to think outside the box and create a brand that would be symbolic to Milwaukee and finally, the night before the launch of Milwaukee Bikeshare, Kevin called up. Let s do this, he said, and we happily put Milwaukee Bikeshare to rest. With the brakes pumped - what was it called again? - we got the green light to build an iconic Milwaukee brand instead of one that would eventually be absorbed by a corporate sponsor. We assembled a committee and came up with about fourteen potential names - a list we quickly narrowed down to four. And then we pitched those four names - one of them being Bubbler - to seven very influential creatives in the Milwaukee scene. One of those people was Scott Schwebel, the Director of Marketing for Colectivo. He loved the name Bubbler Bikes, stating it came with the most risk, but the highest reward. It was also Scott, who, in a later conversation, suggested we omit a couple letters. 5

6 WHY BUBLR? For starters, when aspiring to create a brand that s unique to Milwaukee, you can t get much more Milwaukee than the word bubbler. A bubbler, or water fountain as the non-locals call it, is a place where people gather and socialize - which is exactly what the bikeshare program is designed to do. Every aspect of Bublr s design is actually based on the idea of connecting people. For example, the fact that the logo looks like a bubble is not just a play on words. It s derived from the idea of how bubbles cluster together, and from an artistic standpoint, how communities blend into one another to create a larger network. Savage Solutions Studio Director, Mark Hungsberg, describes the intention behind creating a bubble that looks hand drawn. We wanted to create a logo that was very much its own and that felt of the people for the people. And the signature blue is not only fresh and stands out; it ties the brand back to water. Milwaukee is, after all, the freshwater hub of the world. It might also have something to do with Cory s affinity for the original Milwaukee Brewers blue (he owns a throwback Paul Molitor jersey). We designed every aspect of the bike as well as docking stations, the iconic Bublr truck, business cards, and other collateral. We also built a fun website showcasing a simple Milwaukee skyline that Bublr could utilize while they were out and about in the marketplace gaining community support. A few good reasons. 6

7 SOME BUMPS IN THE ROAD The day finally came. Our Bublr bikes arrived fresh off the truck and they were purple. But you know what, it was cool, because according to Mark: As a designer, you can t throw a fit. When you get a curveball, you gotta improvise. He improvised his ass off - to put it lightly - some of which included photoshopping the Bublr logo on blank bikes for our ads. All of our models were Savage employees, by the way. A lot of creative improv happened. A lot of hard work happened. We had blue bikes again, and they had logos and everything! It was the day before we were ready to give this launch thing another go. We d just overlooked one small detail. We needed the mayor s approval. Spring into action, Mark taped up a top-secret Bublr bike and drove it to City Hall. The mayor didn t just approve it. He called it, One of the best brands I ve ever seen Milwaukee do. Now that s a compliment. THE MAYOR DIDN T JUST APPROVE IT. HE CALLED IT One of the best brands I ve ever seen Milwaukee do. 7

8 We unveiled Bublr Bikes on August 6, 2014, at Red Arrow Park and it was a HUGE hit! The excitement was palpable as everyone wanted to take them for a ride. And guess who else was there - Gary Witt, the guy who got the wheels of this whole project in motion. Cory, who enjoys pointing out that two Chicago kids helped build a bike brand for Milwaukee, says, It was a success story for both Savage Solutions and Bublr Bikes. We re proud of the collaborative effort and creative gusto we invested in this project, and furthermore, our success in building a consumer brand from start to finish. Bublr Bikes is now an iconic brand for the City of Milwaukee. In fact, people embrace it so wholeheartedly that they re even incorporating the signature blue bikes in their engagement photos! Both Savage Solutions and Bublr Bikes helped put each other on the map. We did a lot with a little, says Cory. It was one of those projects that energized the entire company, and one that I am very proud of. SPOILER ALERT 8

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