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.

A little girl in a baseball uniform and cap playing baseball on a dirt field, with the text overlay 'Home Run Girls' in white script font.
A person skateboarding on the street with the phrase 'Skate boarding's first lady' overlaid in bold white text.
A climber with ice gear and a beanie standing on snow with a flag, celebrating atop a mountain.
Black and white photo of a smiling woman holding a bill with the US Capitol building in the background. The text 'The Game Changer' is overlaid on the image.
A runner in a sprint race on an outdoor track, with the words 'HEPTATHLON & LONG JUMP LEGEND' written across the image.
A young girl performing a gymnastics move on a balance beam, with large white text overlay saying 'Girls of Summer'.
Black and white action shot of a female basketball player shooting a basketball towards the hoop with the text "The Pivotal Point" superimposed over the image.
A female tennis player holding a racket on a tennis court with a large crowd in the stands and multiple flags in the background.

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.

A promotional poster for a campaign and commemorative patch collection from 1975, featuring a climber in orange gear ascending a snowy mountain, with a circular emblem/logo showing mountains, flags, and the year 1975.
A timeline infographic showcasing women's sports milestones with various logos and medals from 1943 to 2023, including pioneering achievements in baseball, skateboard championships, mountaineering, running, basketball, tennis, and sports branding.

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

A collection of red and white sports patches and cards featuring Penny Toler, celebrating her role in the WNBA, with text about her achievements and leadership.

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.

Close-up of a green fabric bag with a brown leather patch that reads 'The Sports Bra' in cursive lettering.
Patch with the words 'MILE' and the year '1972' embroidered on it, positioned next to an informational sign explaining its significance related to Patsy Matsu Mink and her legislative achievements.
Close-up of layered fabric items, including a pink fabric with yellow text and a gray fabric with orange logo prints, featuring a 2022 Portland, Oregon badge with a stylized 'S' and 'B' intertwined.
Close-up of the inside of a black sports bra with branding labels, showing the text 'The Sports Bra' on the inside label.
Multi-tool Swiss Army knife with a wooden handle labeled 'Sports Bar' resting on a light-colored surface.
Embroidered patch with a skateboarder, a bridge, and the number 64, reading 'Raidial 64' on a wooden background.

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

One word, one symbol, 22,000 views. We felt this one in our bones.
The L word from BJK says more than a press release ever could. We screenshotted this immediately. Still grinning.
Proof of concept meets proof of impact. When your merch becomes memorabilia, you've delivered..
Tech founder. Women’s sports champion. Patch collector. Alexis Ohanian has officially entered the chat and co-signed.
Jackie Joyner Kersee, a 6-time Olympian, smiling and holding a patch inspired by her, wearing a light blue shirt with handwriting-style patterns, outdoors with a white columned porch and trees in the background.

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.

Make It Real →