—MAXIMUS MUAY THAI
Helping a Fighter Find His Greatness
When I met Rich he was a fast-rising fighter in the Muay Thai world and had a vision for opening his own gym in his hometown of Roselle, Illinois. He was also a tombstone engraver and father of six, hustling harder than anyone I knew to support his family, businesses and career.
His gym was named after his late son, Maximus. Keeping his memory alive and creating a legacy for his son colored everything he did. Rich told me that losing his first son was the toughest thing he’d ever gone through, but it taught him his greatest lesson: that he can overcome anything.
I wanted to help him build a brand that would be a strong foundation for his gym but I saw that there was a deeper story and purpose yet to be uncovered. A story that would inspire him to keep pushing toward his dreams, but could also inspire others toward theirs.
01
BRAND STORY
Rich’s late son, Maximus—latin for the greatest—pushed him to greatness every day. And it became clear that Maximus Muay Thai would be more than just a gym. It would become a movement, a mantra, a mission.
While Maximus was the greatness within Rich, we all had a Maximus within us, driving us to be better, push harder, and rise above failure and adversity. More than a gym, Maximus Muay Thai was a community where you could find the greatness within yourself and overcome anything.
Inspired by the gym’s namesake and purpose— Find Your Greatness— would become the centerpiece of the brand.
02
THE LOGO
We set the type for Maximus in Trajan Pro— a serif typeface based on the letterforms of Roman square capitals, since Maximus is a Roman family name. These classic letterforms, often seen in the stone-carvings of Renaissance-period tombstones, also connect to Rich’s work as a tombstone engraver.
03
DESIGN ELEMENTS
A dramatic palette of black, white cool and warm greys paired with the raw, gritty texture of the photography used brought to life the power and intensity of the brand, as well as Rich’s, personality.
A pairing of modern and classic typefaces were curated to convey a high-performance brand.
04
BRAND VOICE
We brought the brand story to life through curated messages around greatness.
03
BRAND ACTIVATION
From the website to product photography to membership collateral, we created a suite of materials to launch the gym with the integrity of its’ brand.
From filming behind-the-scenes at his fight to spending time time in his gym, we did a lot of photography and video work for his social media channels. To ensure Rich could sustain his own content after our engagement, we also held a one-on-one workshop where he learned how to shoot and set up his own camera.
“Ashley listened to my story as a fighter but also as a father. She was able to do the deep work that I didn’t even know we needed to connect to our purpose and eventually our customers."
—RICHARD ABRAHAM,
World-champion Muay Thai fighter + gym owner