8th State x rivyl

8th State is a fitness-focused studio delivering a premium hot yoga experience for those who take their physical and mental well-being seriously. The studio continued to thrive. With growth comes experience and then the inevitable evolution. Sometimes, experience alone is not enough to evolve. Eevee needs a fire stone to evolve into Flareon. Water stone to evolve into a Vaporeon. And 8th State needed the branding stone to evolve the brand. That’s when the founder, Christina, approached Rivyl for a total brand overhaul. Before we could give 8th State a makeover, we needed to look at the brand from Christina’s perspective. Cue the branding workshops.

Here’s the distilled version of the brief after hours of calls and discussions. First, we needed a fresh name. Let’s just say there was a lively debate around the original name. (We’re not spilling the beans. So, don’t even ask.) Anywhoo, after the new name (8th State), we needed a new logo mark. One that was not a variation of the sun. We’re quoting Christina here when she said, “If I wanted a cliché logo, I could have just drawn a sun in Canva and called it a day.

”Message Received. Loud and Clear. NO CLICHÉ.

Next up was the an entirely new brand strategy and visual direction. We’ll skip the details, lest this case study be too long. Let’s dive right into the results.

After brainstorming through hundreds of potential names, two solid rounds of naming reviews, and sixteen strong options on the final round, 8th State won by a landslide. The meaning behind the name was enough to capture our hearts and Christina’s. Inspired by the 8th limb of yoga, Samadhi (a state of enlightenment or bliss), this was a banger of a name that encapsulated her vision of the brand – helping people reconnect with themselves and build a community of people who share a holistic approach to health and fitness.

After that, we crafted a conversational, sassy, yet motivational voice. (We called it “sassivation.”) A light-hearted and cheeky nudge in the right direction. Then, we played with natural colors and the combination of charcoal and wet sand seemed to evoke a grounded and calming feeling, like every yoga studio should. But something was amiss. Those colors (charcoal and wet sand) felt devoid of energy and vibrancy. So, in a stroke of genius, our design wizards added electric lemon. This immediately lifts the vibe and transforms a muted color palette into a dynamic and lively palette that perfectly complemented the brand strategy and voice. Go on. Keep looking at the results. This another brand we’re proud of.