Icon Agency breathes new life into KMD Brands

Icon Agency has led a rebrand for KMD Brands, formerly Kathmandu Holdings, who own globally recognised brands Kathmandu, Oboz and Rip Curl.

Icon was tasked with developing a new brand that combines KMD’s history and heritage with its future-facing outlook, emphasis on sustainability, and focus on building global brands.

The key outcome of the project is a brand book which draws together KMD Brands’ purpose, vision, and brand narrative. The new brand was developed in close consultation with executives within the organisations and included three months of research and collaborative strategy deep-dive.

Says Joanne Painter, co-founder and managing director, Icon Agency: “This project was an exciting opportunity to work with a globally recognised organisation and develop a sleek, polished brand.

Says Michael Daly, group CEO, KMD Brands: “The partnership with Icon Agency was very collaborative, efficient and well-managed. We are really pleased with the end result. We now have a brand which acknowledges the transformation that has occurred within the group in recent years, while reflecting our future strategy and vision.”

Icon also developed a design ecosystem, including a new logo, a vibrant colour palette and three unique textures which reflect the land, sea, and sky. Joanne Painter explained the textures have real-world inspirations.

“We’re proud to represent KMD’s focus on the outdoors into these three textures. The land texture is inspired by topographic maps, the sea texture draws from nautical depth charts, and the sky texture uses gridded arrows that map wind patterns.”

With a focus on sustainability and people, KMD Brands was a perfect fit for Icon’s purpose-driven client roster.

“We strive to work with clients who put people first and make a positive difference in the world, so KMD Brands is a perfect fit for our ethos. With future work already in the pipeline, we’re excited to continue our partnership.”