Function First

The Function First name comes from the mantra that all product designers follow: Form follows function. Car design is no exception. There’s no point in a car looking gorgeous if it’s horrible to drive, breaks down and can’t deliver what it promises.

Function First had been trading for many years before we created a new brand and marketing message for them. Specialists in after-market parts and upgrades for high-performance cars, it was important to create a brand that mirrored that market.  Many performance cars have signature colours which we had to avoid – Ferrari Red, Lotus – Yellow, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Caterham all use green, to name just a few. Deep blue was however not largely associated with any particular performance car maker.

The logo mark itself is a blend of a stylised F and a number 1 – obviously emphasising the first in their title.

The client base for Function First is almost exclusively male – with a substantial disposable income. Guys who liked to drive fast, frequently going to track days to test out their cars and their own driving ability.  The advertisement designs specifically avoided showing identifiable car brands as Function First serves the entire performance car market.

Later we devised folders and posters using the Pure Performance Pleasure strapline.