The Gillette Young Guns are six of NASCAR's hottest young drivers. They exemplify excellence in the sport of stock car driving in the same way Gillette shaving products exemplify excellence in shaving technology and innovation. Developing a website to bring together these two strong brand identities meant that RDVO needed to find a way to extend the marketing objectives of Gillette and at the same time provide a rich, deep and compelling experience for the Young Guns' fans.
A quick study of the online landscape of racing and NASCAR sponsor-related sites revealed a significant opportunity to be a design leader and take the digital presentation of a racing site to a higher level.
RDVO's solution included:
- A compelling visual identity utilizing a hybrid Flash/HTML layout
- An emphasis on rich media content, taking advantage of Gillette's inside access to the drivers and its ability to deliver a full complement of new assets after each week's race throughout the 33 week season
- Presentation of a library of driver-specific content, racing statistics and behind the scenes information that appeals to both the serious race fan and the personality-driven devotee
- Extensible architecture with clearly identified areas ready for expansion
- A back end driven by ASP and XML that could be woven into Gillette's existing Interwoven content management system
NASCAR drivers are among the most sponsored athletes in the world and Gillette is the leader in consumer shaving products. The branding requirements of these two entities could easily become overwhelming to the site visitor if not handled with expert care to brand effectively while conveying site content and architecture at the same time.
Striking that delicate balance required RDVO to develop a deep understanding of the branding objectives and interpret them in an effective and creative way throughout the site. Subtle touches added up to a big impact by focusing on high level art direction.
RDVO's solution achieved balance in the site: balance between messaging and content, balance between the drivers as personalities and the drivers as NASCAR drivers, and balance between Flash-fueled high-end design and an approachable web experience.
By constantly looking at the site through the lens of balance, RDVO was able to meet the goals of the client without sacrificing the user.
Gillette Young Guns achieves what many NASCAR-related sites don't: it achieves a rich, multi-faceted user experience in an elegant wrapper and presents the user with a wide array of content choices and media experiences without being overwhelming or confusing.
