Brand Identity
Rune is first and foremost a bike company; it’s what we make, what we love, and the act of riding bikes is what brought us to this point. But simply loving bikes and riding them isn’t enough to build a company like Rune. You need an image, a story, and something people can connect with—you need a brand. So what is Rune’s brand identity, and where did it come from to become what it is today?
When the idea for Rune first came about, it was more about creating a brand identity than starting a bike company. Of course, I had a very clear idea of the kinds of bikes I wanted to build. In fact, that part came pretty easily. That’s largely because my idea of what makes a bike great has always been rooted in simplicity. It’s why everything we do is so minimal, but as I’ve said before, minimal doesn’t mean a lack of detail or intention.
We knew the kind of bikes we wanted to build, and while they weren’t readily available at the time, we also weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, and we didn’t want to. The focus was always on identity, something we felt was missing in the part of the bike space we wanted to exist in. That’s not a knock on the brands that came before us; it’s simply that we saw an opportunity in something we were passionate about and chose to act on it. While the bike itself was the easy part, the branding was always going to be what truly set us apart.
Coming from a BMX background, this way of thinking feels obvious. Most BMX bikes are fundamentally the same; there are subtle differences, but the basics don’t change. The same goes for skateboarding. It’s a plank of wood with four wheels, all roughly the same shape, all costing around the same, and often made in the same high-quality factories. What separates one from another isn’t the product itself, but the image and the identity behind it.
With that in mind, the first real step was choosing a name for the company. It’s a surprisingly complex process and not something easy to land on. It has to sound right, not just for your customers, but more importantly for you. You’re going to be saying it a lot, and if you don’t like how it sounds, that will get old very quickly. Does it look right? Are the letters proportionate? Does it sit well on a tube? Is it too long or too short? All of these things matter.
Working with the right designer is just as important. They need to understand what you’re trying to create, how you think, and how you feel, not just about bikes, but about everything surrounding the brand. Colours play a huge role and need to align with the overall image and tone you’re aiming for. I was lucky to work closely with a good friend of mine at Fried Cactus Studio, who I’d collaborated with on previous projects and who knows me on a personal level. That relationship made it possible to shape Rune’s aesthetic in a way that felt natural and true to what I wanted the brand to be.
The foundation I’ve just talked about is essential; these are all building blocks that need to be in place before the brand ever steps into the public eye. How you present that foundation is what ultimately brings it all together. For Rune, that shows up through creative graphics for each project that reflect the brand’s identity, and through colour choices that aren’t just popular in the moment but fit a wider aesthetic and work cohesively over time.
Visual branding plays a huge role in this. If you look at our social feed, you’ll notice a consistent theme of well-shot imagery, created with photographers who understand the feel and vibe we’re trying to convey and can translate that through their work. Video has also been a big part of the vision from the start, and something we’ll continue to focus on, creating content that makes you want to get out there and ride your bike.
All of these considerations might not be obvious from the outside, and honestly, you can see that much of what exists in the space doesn’t pay attention to them. For Rune, these principles will always be the guiding light for everything we do, both as a bike company and as a brand. This May will mark three years since we launched, and we couldn’t be happier with the path we’ve carved or more appreciative of everyone who has supported us along the way. Their support is the fuel that keeps us motivated to continue doing what we love and plan to carry on doing for years to come.