Rubashka US
We crafted a set of brand guidelines that matches Rubashka's cold-war aesthetic to grow brand awareness while maintaining cohesiveness across social media and ecommerce channels.
Client Intro
I came across Rubashka US on Instagram, they are a clothing brand that focuses on cold war aesthetics. Their following consists of 85k followers with high engagement, and a strong, consistent brand image. I decided to create a brand kit for them as a passion project, to help them better understand the brand image they are going for, and to assist them when keeping different content styles aligned with their core brand identity.
What problems are they having
Rubashka US is an early-stage brand, without and cohesive standards. This can lead to low engagement, brand image dissonance, and wasted resources. The brand has a strong social foundation, yet is struggling to raise engagement rates. Primed for growth, the brand needs an extra push.
What goals do they have
The main goal of this project is to distill down the brand’s image to a few key pieces that will allow for increased growth. Boosting site traffic is integral to keeping the brand alive and growing. A brand kit is the main deliverable that is needed to keep this brand identity optimized.
What I did to achieve those goals
First, I analyzed the makeup of the brand’s social media presence, from picture to reel, across multiple platforms. They are centered around cold war history, and they post daily history updates. They provide raw critiques of the current state of the world in their eyes, and make merchandise that reflects that.Second, I researched key forms of art from the time period, and compiled them into a collage of sorts. This mood-board helped shape the direction of the overall brand kit. I selected colors, fonts, textures, and images from the era that reflect the time period in the most succinct way.
Results of our efforts
This information was compiled into a presentation deck to be used as a brand kit to align all future business efforts around.This project was a great success, I have honed down the brand’s values, mission and vision statements to the main talking points. I have taken inspiration from the source material to incorporate it all into a cohesive unit.
Insights Gained
I learned a lot about brand image, design, and strategy from this project. Mainly, I have developed a stronger sense of “vibe” when analyzing brands. I can more accurately pinpoint what makes a brand stand out, what connects with the audience, and what should be kept in the future. Keeping necessarily involves throwing away, so I have honed those skills as well.