Wow Factor of Pale Horse’s Brand

For Jaqx Ball, a large selling point at Pale Horse CrossFit is the strong brand exuded by the Box.

“Visual is everything to the customer base,” explained the co-owner of the gym in Charleston, South Carolina. “When they walk into a place, they’re either immediately going to be motivated and turned on by the atmosphere and immediately driven to want to be in that space and have a space that actually reflects what we’re trying to do, which is empower people and motivate people and work out in a fun, unique environment. And so, I think along with just the branding of it, and the logo, we wanted the actual space to speak to what we’re trying to do and be really different.”

Different from most Boxes is right. With 30-foot ceilings, artificial turf, corrugated metal and steel accents, and walls covered in tricolor stained two-by-eights, the surfaces alone set apart the gym. But, the owners of Pale Horse didn’t stop there.

Caleb Ball, a co-owner and the head trainer at the Box, explained they’ve also made the gym aesthetically pleasing through artwork. Local artists’ work, from graffiti murals to copper horse sculptures, accent the blacked out walls of the gym. “Do something obviously to make your Box different as far as programming, but also aesthetically,” said Caleb. “Make it look different. Make it a different experience for the people who are coming in, something they’re not used to. That’s going to make you stand out.”

Jaqx said they also really wanted to put a modern twist on the Box to initiate a “wow” factor when people walked into the gym. Utilizing the name and logo, as well as their motto “Outwork death,” she explained they kept with those themes in the colors and materials they chose to use. It all remains consistent with the Box’s brand identify, which is something Jaqx said is key.

However, the look and feel could very well have been different if their demographic wasn’t what it is. While the high-end, wow-factor of Pale Horse speaks to its audience, Jaqx said the design and brand are ultimately going to be influenced by whom your gym services. “Know your audience,” said Jaqx. “You have to know who you’re selling to. We might have designed a totally different Box in a different state … Know your audience and who your demographic is, wherever your Box is that you’re opening, and create upon that.”