Finding our designer...

Brandfathers review portfolios to pick who will design our new branding

Author

Antonio Collins
February 26, 2025

The Fathers are back, and this week, we did something different. Instead of breaking down marketing sins and triumphs, we practiced what we preach.

Our identity is a mess. No logo. No consistency. Pure chaos. So we put out an open call for designers, reviewed their portfolios live, and found out what actually makes a great brand identity.

And yes, we still touched on Nike x Skims and Alani Nu’s big acquisition at the end. Let’s get into it.

Fatherly Banter: Brand Chaos & the Rebrand Process

BrandFathers mood board for our new identity

We talk branding every week, but our own identity? A train wreck.

So we did what any sane designers would do:

🔹 Put out an open call for designers
🔹 Collected portfolios from freelancers and agencies
🔹 Reviewed them live, breaking down what makes a good brand identity/portfolio

Breaking down each one here would be more of a mess than our current branding, so be sure to watch the full episode. You’ll see experienced marketers read through smokescreens and spot frauds from winners.

Nike x Skims: $4 Billion in a Day

What happened: Nike announced a new co-branded subline with Skims. Not a one-off collab—a full brand called “NikeSkims.”

Nike’s stock jumped 5%, adding $4 billion in market cap overnight. All because of a press release with a brown background and zero product shots.

The Fathers Take: This is the power of personal brand.

Kim Kardashian’s Skims is bigger than just shapewear—it’s a cultural force. She has 330M Instagram followers (more than Nike itself), and the hype alone made Wall Street bullish.

This also signals Nike’s white flag in the fight for the affluent millennial woman. They’ve been losing ground to Lululemon, Alo, and VUORI for years. Instead of trying to win that audience alone, they’re tapping into a brand that already owns it.

Oh, and side note: sentence case “Nike”, uppercase “SKIMS” is painful. You can feel the boardroom compromise.

Alani Nu x Celsius: The Energy Drink Wars Continue

What happened: Celsius just acquired Alani Nu, a female-focused energy drink brand for $1.8B

The Fathers Take: This is peak CPG consolidation. The energy drink market has exploded past Monster and Red Bull, and now every niche is getting filled.

Celsius changed the game by ditching hyper-masculine bro energy branding and positioning itself as the sleek, gym-friendly drink. Alani Nu did the same but for women. Now, Celsius is absorbing them to strengthen its hold.

The lesson? If you’re building a CPG brand, you either become a giant or get bought by one. And if you’re in the beverage space without serious funding? Good luck.

Final Sermon

We tore apart our own branding, dissected designer portfolios, and found some gems.

We also gave our thoughts on the productless $4B company that is NikeSkims and hit the Celsius x Alani Nu merger.

Watch the full episode here

Until next time,
The BrandFathers