Meaningful Icon

Motorola sought a boost to brand awareness with advanced headsets to be worn on-field and on-screen by all NFL coaches. Since its introducton in the ‘50s, the Motorola ‘batwing’ signature stands among the most recognized brand symbols on the planet. NFL Football is watched by 1 billion eyes each season. Fused with a solidly innovative design, it would also be among the most visible.

What is Meaningful to Motorola?
Savvy design that balances the communications trinity of technology, user comfort and consumer visibility. The project’s release date was non-negotiable. We had four months and then game over. The start of the NFL season was our deadline. Our team huddled around the premise: headsets robust enough to endure rough use, sporting a robust marketing message.

The HLB team’s lead, John Hartman led the group to challenge convention while staying “in bounds” with what could be achieved by the kickoff date.

What was Meaningful for Coaches?
Mobility. Sound. Appearance. Functionality. Leadership.

The coaches wanted fidelity, comfort and – no names named – to look good on camera. The fans in the stands wanted coaches to be like generals, commanding their troops. Motorola wanted an innovative, signature design.

Speed to Market
Because of the schedule’s constraints, HLB needed to engineer functionality and resilience without the luxury of repeated prototypes. Industrial designer Jason Billig’s deft preliminary Pro/E design work and foam modeling quickly proved concepts.

We leveraged a floating structure to promote airflow and comfort. An elongated form spreads the pressure. Temple pad inserts achieve balance. And the bold profile with high impact logo placement scores big. Literally at every juncture – mouthpiece, earphone, temple support – we sought opportunities to showcase the Motorola name and Batwing with an edgy, eye catching aesthetic

Meaningful Results
Each week, coaches from every NFL team wear the headset, communicating with staff and delivering the brand to viewers. In a crowded field, it’s an unlimited branding opportunity. HLB built a relationship with Motorola for delivering compelling design within challenging timeframes. The headest program manifests the culmination of that trust. Initially conceived to serve four seasons, it’s lasted seven.