Overwatch x Rescue

Question: when you press “SOS” on your GPS tracker, smart watch, or other satellite-connected device, what even happens? Like many modern conveniences, the second you start thinking about the logistics behind pushing one button on one device in the middle of the wilderness your head starts to spin. But someone is on the other end of that line, and it’s not Garmin, or Motorola, or any device maker. There are vast, global search and rescue networks dedicated to keeping people safe when they wander out of cell service. But they aren’t exactly consumer-facing brands.

With Overwatch x Rescue, we worked to breathe life and personality into a previously anonymous field search and rescue company.

Whether it’s typical travel insurance or search and rescue insurance, most services focus on everything that can go wrong and terrify travelers into purchasing supplemental coverage. No one really celebrates the qualities that so many people to spend time alone in the great outdoors share—resourcefulness, ambition, and a voice inside their head goading them just a bit further down the trail.

We developed an entirely new brand personality, look, and position in the marketplace. Overwatch x Rescue isn’t for people looking to eliminate risk, but who want to make decisions that favor responsible boundary pushing, knowing that they have the experts in their corner should things go sideways. The result is a soon-to-be lifestyle brand in a category completely devoid of them.

What’s on this page is just a taste of what we did for the brand. Like most brand strategy projects, I can’t share too much of the work here. That said, I’m always happy to walk you through the process.