Most brands have a gap between what they do and how they show up. We see it all the time – innovative products with websites that feel stuck in the early 2000s, groundbreaking tech explained in corporate jargon, visionary leaders that struggle to make their impact feel real to customers.
So how do you close that gap?
Over the past 10 months, we’ve tackled this challenge with Theia, a motion capture Challenger that turns video into AI-powered biomechanical insights that help push the human body further, heal it faster, and create tailored products for better health outcomes.
Their tech is mind-blowing, but without the right brand and experience, potential customers were left filling in the blanks. Here’s what we learned about turning complex ideas into immersive brand experiences – and how you can apply the same thinking to your own Challenger Brand.
The Three Drivers of a Challenger Brand Experience
Make your brand as dynamic as your product
Software companies often struggle to bridge the gap between explaining their product and showing it in action. Static descriptions and polished screenshots force customers to theorize what it’d be like to use. But we wanted to go beyond theoretical. We wanted the website to feel like you’re using Theia in real time.
That’s why we created Theia Mode.
It’s a website feature that lets users toggle between real-world video and Theia’s AI-powered skeletal tracking. The website is now an interactive demo built into the brand itself.
Challenger Consideration: What aspects of your product are prospective customers forced to infer? How can design features help bridge the gap to be more real?
Own your most distinctive asset
When the 5&Vine team first looked at Theia’s brand identity, we saw strength, but their old branding wasn’t telling the full story. Inspired by the neon blue glow of Theia’s skeletal tracking in the software itself, we saw the potential for it to be the centerpiece of the brand identity. There was magic waiting to be unlocked.
We relaunched their brand around their core differentiator of “precision” (tracks 124 keypoints with <1 cm, 3° precision) and created a motion-inspired visual identity system. The logo integrates neon blue lines that trace the skeleton. It’s complemented by a motion blur photographic style and the abstract skeleton made of with neon lines to highlight bodies in motion. The strategic combination of motion and precision transformed Theia’s presence from static to alive.
Challenger Consideration: What design elements are inherent in the product that customers actually buy and use? How can they become cornerstones of your brand identity?
Speak directly to your buyers (not just about yourself)
Great positioning isn’t about what you do – it’s about how it solves your customer’s specific problem. We built industry-specific pages for Theia that spoke directly to biomechanical professionals & researchers across sports, healthcare, product development, and more, speaking to their challenges and how Theia solves them.
At the top of each industry page, you can select the movement that you want to see each person do – and how Theia Mode tracks with ease. Each of the key details surrounding the animations are specific to the industry.
Moreso, we put Theia’s best clients front & center with logos and testimonials to generate immediate trust. Whether improving sports recovery, advancing drug efficacy, or revolutionizing footwear design, we shared how Theia enables outcomes that matter.
Challenger Consideration: Are you speaking your customers’ language? Can they see themselves in your messaging?
What happens when you get it right?
When your brand experience matches the power of your product, your audience takes notice. Theia’s transformation positioned them as a leader in their field—so much so that the NBA named them its official motion capture partner for their new league-wide biomechanics program.
By making Theia’s brand experience as immersive as its technology, we helped redefine what a motion capture brand could be.
Want to see what a living, breathing brand looks like? Check it out: theiamarkerless.com
