When Liam Lawson needed a logo that encapsulated his personality, his racing style and his heritage, New Zealand-based graphic designers Harris Keenan and Oliver James stepped up to the task. With only three weeks to bring the concept to life last year, the duo set out to create a unique logo that would stand apart from the sleek, monochromatic branding associated with most other F1 drivers. The result is a distinctive emblem that reflects both Lawson’s fiery driving style and his interests off track.
Keenan and James first connected with Lawson after creating the branding for the Los Angeles-based talent agency that represents him. The Red Bull driver curated a mood board, with the help of his team, featuring a mix of streetwear brands, iconic racing visuals and design references from other industries. “We wanted to make sure that the brand was bigger than just racing, and that it could be used for many things in the future,” Keenan explained.
The logo they devised features an illustrated character resembling Lawson with a cheeky grin, a mischievous look in his eye, and a bright pink backwards cap. Interestingly however, the character was originally conceived in Lawson’s head, long before he ever stepped foot on the F1 grid. “He's been drawing the character for many years,” Keenan said.
“He gave us a little sketch drawing that he did himself...
and we wanted to keep it really simple, but we added the cap and the little cheeky grin.” The initial design feature.
