4 climbing gyms come together

2024 | SERVICES: EVENT IDENTITY DESIGN, CREATIVE DIRECTION, CONTENT STRATEGY, PRINT & DIGITAL DELIVERABLES

The Winter Boulder Series (WBS) is an annual social climbing competition that brings together the 9 Degrees Sydney community. Climbers log their top-scoring boulders across four gyms to qualify for an exciting finals event. To emphasise the collaboration between the Sydney gyms and the premium climbing experience, I developed a bold and recognisable event identity. This visual direction was applied across merchandise, social media, event posters, and podium winner certificates, ensuring a cohesive and high-impact brand presence.

merchandise

Each year, WBS features a limited-edition event tee. The goal was to design a shirt that subtly referenced climbing while remaining stylish and wearable beyond the gym. The final graphic is an abstract representation of climbing holds from each 9 Degrees gym, symbolising the high-quality route-setting and the many elements coming together to create WBS. A gradient overlay, inspired by the colors assigned to each gym at the time, added depth and cohesion. Additional design variations were adapted into posters, further reinforcing the event’s visual identity.

Beyond the shirt design, I developed the creative direction for the merchandise shoot. Rather than relying on typical climbing imagery, I curated a stylized, grungy/street aesthetic that hinted at the movement and atmosphere of climbing.

ROAD TO FINALS

To maintain hype leading up to the finals event, I designed social media graphics and curated the feed to engage competitors while delivering key event information. The challenge was to present essential information in a visually compelling and on-brand manner. By combining bold design with strategic content planning, the social campaign successfully built momentum, reinforced the event’s identity, and kept the community engaged throughout the competition.

The overall content strategy was highly successful, resulting in an increase in social media engagement compared to the previous year. The finals event saw a huge turnout, with all merchandise selling out. Some event posters were even taken home by attendees as mementos.

Shot & edited by Tom Gilligan

PHOTO CREDITS: TOM GILLIGAN & LANCE DEL PRADO