For this 7 part kit, I created a brand of ultramarathon running gear inspired by my brother. He has an exact list of items that he has to gather each race to help him across the line, so I wanted to simplify that collection into one brand. From salt pills to athletic tape, this kit has everything a runner would need from mile 1 to mile 100.
During these ultramarathons, it’s often up to our dad at the aid stations to give him the encouragement he needs to push on. In a completely stereotypical fashion, my dad has Shakespeare monologues memorized, seemingly for moments like these. His go to is “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse” from Henry VIII. This always inspires my brother to continue, often with a war cry of his own as he heads “back into the breach once more.” To further this concept, I pulled from both the historic and Shakespearian characters in history, specifically the Wars of the Roses. By characterizing the products after different characters in Shakespeare’s plays and history, I’m able to create witty connections between the two. The catatonic King Henry the VI becomes a pair of low impact socks for his lack luster appearance on the throne as Warwick the Kingmaker, a trusted advisor and later traitor, becomes the dangerously helpful caffeine supplements. I paired these connections with comical depictions of these historic figures with modern athletic feats.
