CLIENT | THE SPORTS BRA
Legacy Patch
Merch Campaign
Turning overlooked history into a living, wearable movement
A cozy, camp-core merch campaign designed to honor the legacy of women in sports & spark a new era of inclusive, mission-aligned storytelling at The Sports Bra.
THE CHALLENGE
The Sports Bra was breaking new ground as the first bar focused exclusively on women’s sports, but their merch wasn’t doing the same.
Early products skewed feminine, lacked storytelling, and missed a big segment of their base: folks who loved the mission but didn’t see themselves in the swag.
They needed something deeper, broader. Something built to resonate, built to last.
WHAT WE DID
AYC saw an opportunity to position the brand as a storyteller & cultural archivist, creating a bridge between nostalgia & collectability.
01.
STRATEGY & CONCEPT
We developed the idea of commemorative patches inspired by vintage camping badges & athletic aesthetics, each honoring a game-changing moment or icon in women’s sports history.
Each patch was part of a larger universe where sports heroes were canonized, cultural gaps were closed, and fans became historians.
TSBxAYC FW23 | legacy look book
02.
CREATIVE DIRECTION
To bring this concept to life, we crafted a creative system rooted in timelessness, reverence, and design nostalgia.
Inspired by cozy-camp vibes, we leaned into layered textures, fire-side storytelling, and Pacific Northwest grit. We used community-centered storytelling & stat-style language to elevate the patches into badges of honor.
Each patch was part of a larger universe where sports heroes were canonized, cultural gaps were closed, and fans became historians.
03.
DESIGN EXECUTION
Limited-Run Embroidered Patches
Nine custom twill patches, each design commemorates a moment sidelined by traditional sports merch.
Legacy Collector Cards
Vintage-inspired trading cards served as tactile artifacts to bring each legacy to life. Designed for collectability, built for impact.
Coordinated Capsule Collection
Crewnecks, tees, hats, and accessories built to match the patch drops. Sport, style, story.
Gender-Expansive Apparel Design
A collection built for everyone. Rooted in queer joy, cultural nostalgia, and a future-forward vision of sportswear.
Editorial Infrastructure
Blog series written for each patch with full historical context & embedded SEO to capture traffic from key search terms.
04.
ENGAGEMENT & IMPACT
The Legacy campaign reframed The Sports Bra’s merch from products to presence.
It became a way for the community to participate in the brand’s mission while also expanding their reach into lifestyle, digital activism, and long-term storytelling — all without losing their soul.
⚡️
944% Increase in Site Visitors
⚡️
14x Increase in Units Sold
⚡️
$10K+ in Sales
⚡️
+1,500% Increase in Total Customers
⚡️
96% First-Time Buyers
⚡️
2,700% Increase in Conversions
⚡️
100% Organic Traffic
⚡️ 944% Increase in Site Visitors ⚡️ 14x Increase in Units Sold ⚡️ $10K+ in Sales ⚡️ +1,500% Increase in Total Customers ⚡️ 96% First-Time Buyers ⚡️ 2,700% Increase in Conversions ⚡️ 100% Organic Traffic
This is what mission- aligned design looks like.
Strategic, soulful, and built to belong.
If this moved you, good.
That means you’re one of us. You’re someone who cares enough to build things that matter.
If you’re ready to do that for your brand, we’re ready too.