Entrepreneurial brothers Zach and Jake Barson founded their head-shaving business in lockdown. After quickly establishing a loyal following with their first product they challenged us to evolve their brand to serve a wider bald community and showcase a new innovative product range.
Strategy
Taking heads to new heights
Having two heads full of hair serving a mid-American blue-collar audience, the Barson brothers needed help establishing what they stood for and how they could build a personality that felt immediate and authentic. We unearthed their story: While Zach and Jake may not be bald, they’re natural-born problem-solvers who genuinely care about their customers. Our strategy helped them move beyond the convenience of head shaving repositioning them as a headcare experts.
Brand expression
Taking the hassle out of headcare
We created a super-flexible system that drew inspiration from local barber shops, the no-frills world of practical power tool brands, and stylish workwear makers such as Carhart and Dickies. Add in user generated content, a playful and no-nonsense tone of voice and the result is an approachable, authentic grooming brand that keeps things simple.
Brand expression
Life’s too short for irritation
Although the brand’s audience is largely middle-aged guys, a flexible and playful illustration style enables Freebird to speak to a wider community of bald folk not defined by gender or age. Deliberately paired-back packaging system elevated their entire range giving them strong stand-out in a crowded market. Being bald may not always be a choice but whatever the reason Freebird has your back.
Ico elevated us to a whole new level — they truly understood our vision and goals, providing invaluable guidance, support, strategic thinking and creativity. Not only was the end result innovative and effective, they made the process enjoyable — it was a pleasure to collaborate with such a talented and dedicated team.
