When the stadium lights fade, a new kind of game begins. We partnered with legendary Chicago running back Matt Forte to launch Workhorse Clothing, a post-retirement lifestyle brand designed to translate his on-field dominance into enduring business success. The goal was to build an identity that reflected not just his athletic career, but the calculated mindset that drove it.
The challenge was to build an identity that resonated beyond his immediate fanbase and completely avoided standard sports clichés. We needed to visually capture the duality of his persona: his reputation as an every-down "Workhorse," and his sharp, deeply strategic approach to life and business.
Before designing a single asset, we anchored the brand in strategy. By positioning Workhorse Clothing at the intersection of relentless grind and intellectual precision, we developed a brand architecture built for the long haul. The resulting identity doesn't just sell to football fans—it speaks to anyone who values outworking and outsmarting the competition.
We designed a custom icon that perfectly balances power and intellect. The sleek, modern horse head serves a dual purpose: it nods directly to his iconic "Workhorse" moniker while unmistakably mirroring the Knight piece in chess. This design choice instantly communicates both untiring physical strength and calculated, multi-step strategy. The result is a sharp, premium mark engineered to look just as natural on high-performance athletic wear as it does in a lifestyle collection.
