Branding grit: The making of SPARTAN’s ‘Chase the Pain’ campaign

This was a brand campaign developed for SPARTAN that celebrated the grit and dedication of the community. The SPARTAN Marketing, Media, Design, and Merchandise teams and I collaborated on an editorial story, email newsletters, a hype reel, on-site photoshoot, and a limited edition t-shirt.

If Spartans, a unique and rare breed of humans, know one thing, it's this: pain is good. 

It’s a pain to be disciplined. It’s a pain to make sacrifices. It’s a pain to put in hard work, day in and day out, year after year. It’s a pain to pass on partying and instead stay focused on the process. It’s a pain to refuse comfort food. It’s a pain to go against the grain or against the pack. And it's damn sure a pain in the ass to do all of the little mundane habits and practices over and over and over, especially when no one is looking. 

You, a Spartan, know this. 

If it was easy, everyone would do it. If it was easy to succeed and surpass your goals, everyone would be a winner. If making major accomplishments was easy, everyone would have all of the answers. If life was easy, everyone would be a leader. 

You, a Spartan, know this. 

Pain, discomfort, obstacles, tests, challenges, and competition make everyone better, but not everyone knows that, accepts that, or wants to believe that. You do.