Philanthropy and prison reform through fitness. That’s CONBODY in a sentence.

Fitness can change lives. At CONBODY, fitness is changing a broken system.

A movement founded by an ex-con, employing ex-cons, with the goal of advocating prison reform while giving people a workout born in a 6X9 cell. My partner and I met founder Coss Marte as he was making waves with a cause and life story that resonated with us on a personal level. Having recently undergone a strong rebrand, our goal was to help Coss build something magnificent on top of that foundation.

Design Context

Making something great, something more.

Designer Alex Center created a new logo and fundamental visual brand elements (shown below) that clearly demonstrated the “prison cell workout” concept that CONBODY was known for. Inspired by concrete, orange jumpsuits, and steel bars, we gladly did time at the only correctional facility where the goal was freedom.

Set The Tone

Expanding the brand beyond design.

We often say that creativity is the ultimate business weapon. And this was evident as we dove in with leadership to evaluate the guts of CONBODY’s business and chart the best path forward. We discovered there was an immediate chance to bring the tone of the brand to life, adding grit, bite, and a distinct mischievous charm to a brand looking for its voice.

As weight loss was a primary goal for the existing audience, we got to work lensing tired workout idioms through our POV. Helping bring in customers while finding new ways to get excited about a prison-style workout run by charismatic ex-cons.

As we worked internally to solidify the brand and business strategy, outwardly we put that thinking into a manifesto for the team to rally behind, and continued to expand the tone of voice work.

We worked on promotions and pop-up locations the business was jumping into, leading our creative work to merch considerations and experience design as well.

Apparel

Creativity at the commissary.

With a solid set of merch in place (above), we set a new goal of infusing narrative into every single touchpoint. The shirts looked great. We wanted to use that appeal to start conversations and motivate people.

From putting the stamp that got Coss through prison onto his beanies, to smuggling motivation into the fits, to bringing prison tats you have to earn on the back of merch that only becomes available once you complete a regimen – everything we did was grounded in the story of reform through fitness.

Our favorite piece was concept driven. A sweat-activated shirt that tats the gym floor with hidden messages if you put in the work and do the time.

Designing New Correctional Facilities

Bringing personality into the prison cell

Coss created the workout in his 6X9 cell. So naturally, the space had to be at the heart of an immersive workout experience. One of the many great things about the original CONBODY space was the touches of prison-like elements. As our work further defining branding and strategy became more focused, those prison elements were taken to another level. This wasn’t some gimmick. Our spaces were opportunities to help people escape their own limits while aligning their personal motivation with a societal one – prison reform.

From Broome Street To The World

Changing US prison reform from NY’s Lower East Side

Our explicit goal was to make good on the logo – bend steel to open a new path forward. By working directly with leadership we had the unique privilege of seeing our work come to life as every level of CONBODY was able to express itself fully, inside and out, strengthening the brand, living its purpose, all while growing as a business. Working against a system inherently designed to strip away humanity & freedom – we came out victorious.

Prison Break

Ex-cons with conviction

In the end, CONBODY stands as one of those special opportunities to work on a brand and a cause at the same time. A truly purposeful mission-driven company is something so many people want to champion and support. Coss’ story inspires. The impact his company makes will continue to shift and grow. For all the great work we created during our time with the brand (and now friend, Coss), it was the behind-the-scenes work that continues to excite us most.

We helped a brand understand itself better. We identified better paths to reaching business goals. We advocated for new viable revenue opportunities that were based on the strategic heart of the business. Which ultimately led to a whole new company being born, Second Chance Studios. And some other prison reform initiatives we hope to share in the future.

Prison bars cannot stop a movement.
We strengthen convictions.