Case Study: RUNZQN

Founded by three passionate locals, the group was built around a simple idea: bring people together through movement, belonging and the outdoors.

RUNZQN is a community-led trail running group based in Queenstown, New Zealand.

The Problem

As the community began to take shape, the brand needed to do the same.

RUNZQN had strong values and a clear spirit, but no identity system that could express them consistently across digital and physical touchpoints.

The goal was to create a brand that felt credible to runners, rooted in place, and strong enough to unify the community as it grew.

The Brief

The identity needed to feel athletic, clean and outdoors-driven – without slipping into generic performance branding.

It had to reflect the character of Queenstown, capture the energy of trail running, and give RUNZQN a recognisable face across apparel, social media and web.

Process / Exploration

drillthrill explored the intersection of movement, terrain and locale. Early exploration focussed on the visual language of the landscape surrounding Queenstown – lake, mountain forms and trail lines – alongside the sharper cues of performance culture. The aim was to distil the outdoors into a mark and system that felt immediate, bold and enduring. From there, the direction was narrowed towards a cleaner identity that balanced natural symbolism with athletic clarity.

Solution / Final Design

The final identity draws on the region’s landscape to create instant recognition while staying simple enough to work across multiple applications.

A bold wordmark, strong silhouette and a restrained visual system give the brand a sense of focus and momentum. The result is an identity that feels grounded in Queenstown, relevant to trail culture, and flexible enough to carry the brand across community touchpoints.

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