A new name, identity and campaign for Australia's first cycling race of its kind, honouring Australian icon Cadel Evans.

To honour Cadel Evans’ legacy as Australia’s greatest ever cyclist, the Victorian Government created an inaugural annual one day cycling race in his name. Inspired by the prestigious European Spring Classics, this was the first event of its kind in Australia and promised to deliver high excitement and intense competition.

The event needed a name, visual identity, campaign look and feel and a pitch presentation in order to attract world class cycling teams, sponsors, partners and UCI classification.

Serpentine curves

Working closely with numerous stakeholders, Self-titled named the race — combining the cyclist, the event type (a road race) and reference to Australia’s iconic Great Ocean Road (on which part of the course is contested).

A graphic interpretation of the serpentine curves of the Great Ocean Road, the logotype is immediately recognisable to anyone who has driven or ridden its winding bends. The identity is used across website, TV, signage, awarded jerseys and merchandise.

An Iconic Image

Aside from a celebration of Cadel’s achievements, there are clear tourism-related goals. The event needs to show off Victoria’s most beautiful stretch of coast to the rest of the world.

Focusing on this spectacular coastal location and Cadel’s superhuman efforts, the brand positioning “Force of Nature” was reached.

The 2018 campaign brought this to life through an iconic campaign image depicting the previous winners battling Australia’s most rugged coastline.

The greastest riders.
The greatest coast.
The Great Ocean Road Race.

A high impact digital experience

Self-titled also delivered a digital experience that provides high impact while also making it easy for the different visitor types to find key information.

Given Cadel is no longer in the elite race, it was important to feature team and rider profiles, especially once the big names started to arrive.

Stylised, scalable interactive maps help spectators find the best spots to watch from and also allows easy updates of traffic alterations for local residents.

The site has increased visitation, database subscription and increased social media engagement.

The World’s Greatest Cyclists
on Melbourne’s F1® Circuit

In 2017, the event was extended to include the UCI-sanctioned Towards Zero Race Melbourne. Elite teams lined up on the world-famous Australian Formula 1® Grand Prix track, offering a great test of rider power and team strategy.

Self-titled created the visual identity as a companion brand to the overall event. Common typography and a shared, albeit inversed, colour palette, visually link the two events.

Having to include the awkwardly shaped Towards Zero logo, the solution wraps the typography around it, visualy integrating it while also reflecting the criterium (circuit) style of the race.

The 2018 campaign features sprint superstar Caleb Ewan on the F1® track and highlights the twilight Melbourne city skyline.

Australia’s greatest weekend of cycling

Having worked with the event Self-titled have led campaign creative, designed and built a highly engaging event website, fostered tactical corporate partnerships, designed communications and jerseys for the highly popular People’s Ride and help launch the lead in criterium, Race Melbourne.

Achieving UCI sanctioning in it’s first year and a selection of high level sponsors, Self-titled’s pre-launch work helped to set up what has since grown to become Australia’s greatest weekend of cycling.