Establishing the Trail Brand Language

The launch of rabbit's first trail shoe, the High Country, marked more than a new product, it marked an expansion of a strong presence in trail apparel into footwear. While rabbit had already built credibility within the trail community, this launch created an opportunity to sharpen and formalize the brand's identity in a highly competitive category.

As part of the in-house creative team, I helped shape the visual language that would define rabbit Trail beyond the shoe itself. My role spanned graphic design, production, and event support, contributing across everything from packaging and launch assets to on-the-ground brand experiences. I also joined the production of Beneath the Rim, supporting runners at Phantom Ranch on their R2R2R journey.

The challenge was creating a system that felt authentic to trail culture while remaining unmistakably rabbit; one that could extend beyond a single product into an enduring brand identity.

Rather than treating the High Country as a standalone launch, we built a foundation for rabbit's trail category. Packaging, campaign assets, environmental graphics, and storytelling were all designed to work together as one cohesive experience, introducing the brand to trail runners with a clear and recognizable point of view.

The launch successfully introduced rabbit's first trail shoe while establishing a visual language that continues to shape the brand's trail presence today. More than a product release, it became the blueprint for how rabbit shows up in the trail running community.