On October 1 2 , 2007 we launched a new version of our brand and website simultaneously. 

This page summarizes what transpired to get us here. Nothing core to our fundamental makeup has changed. Trimming our name from "Evogear" to "evo" embodies this latest evolution; much like the baby rhinocerous who must lose his shell in order to grow.

In the below video, our founder Bryce Phillips, explains what went into these changes. I hope your experience with evo is greatly enhanced, but then again I guess I would, my job depends on it ;) If this is your first time visiting evo, be sure to check out our About Us page to learn more about our people and what makes evo tick.

-Nathan Decker,Ecommerce Manager

They say hindsight is 20/20. A little more than two years ago, we sat down with some serious tasks. In a few months time, we planned to launch a new e-commerce site and open evo, our flagship store in Seattle . We were busy merchandising, designing and building a site and storefront that would represent an entirely new mix of product; streetwear, outerwear and all of the latest skis, snowboards and wakeboards.

From the beginning, we always focused on our identity (the evo and evogear brands). There were countless conversations throughout the company as well as with our firm at the time, Superbig Creative. Our focus was to represent not only the sports, but the urban lifestyle of their participants. The essence of evo is the combination of our sports and culture.

The end result was not one logo, but two; “The evogear Book” and “The evo Crown”. The evogear branding communicated a solid feel representing a broader range of product with a slant towards the hardgoods. The “Crown”, thinner, delicate and more stylized, better represented the feel of our store.

It’s almost 2008. In less than two years time the website and store have become one in many ways. We are one group of people working together at one store. I’ve always said that “the people are our brand.” This remains true no matter if you find us through the web or here at our store in Seattle . Communicating one brand was always our intention; we just didn’t expect the two sides of evo to converge so soon. The last thing that remained separate is the two logos.

Enter Pubs One. Our lead graphic designer Pubs (aka Nathan Bradley) has completely revamped the aesthetics and worked hard to convey the true evo. Pubs  has unleashed his raw talent and keen focus on the brand with this launch. The combination of new imagery (thanks to Team-Tre, Staff Photographer) and a new design has helped us step it up to a new level.

We are all very proud and excited to present our new site. Thank you very much for visiting and for your interest in what’s going on behind the scenes. We always welcome your feedback and love learning about how we can improve.

“So…why evo?”

I get this question all of the time. Why would we name a retail business “evo”? Is it just a cool sounding word? Did we jump on the “evolution” bandwagon? It seems that everyone is using that word these days. My worry when I answer this question is that it’ll sound too sappy and cliché. No one wants to hear an explanation that sounds like something a sign would say McDonalds’ or Wal-Mart’s break room.

The truth is that 6 years ago, when I was searching for the right name, I was looking for something that reflected my interests and philosophies. I knew that the name couldn’t be tied to just one sport or group or products. In fact, I didn’t want a name that would nail us down only operating as a retailer. What I came up with was a parent company name of Evoluciòn Innovations. The reasoning behind the name evo, or evoluciòn is two pronged and pretty simple.

We are dedicated to representing and promoting the products and sports that are progressive and always changing. Evolution is the common thread linking evo’s product offering from the streetwear, to sports including snowboarding, skiing and skateboarding.

evo also represents the philosophy that there is always a better way to do it. You’ve seen the bumper sticker stating “Oh Evolve!” There’s no time to sit back and think that you have it all figured out. Our entry to the retail business is a great example. I’m as green as ever and many of those I work with are young, intelligent and ambitious, but new to the business world. We realize with all businesses, there’s a science that should drive the way you run it. Throughout the organization, we work under the understanding that a: we have a ton to learn about how things should work today and b: tomorrow will uncover just as many things to learn about.

As we research and launch new businesses that will round out the evo lifestyle mix such as travel, real estate, our own line of clothing etc, evolution will always be at the core as a characteristic of the products and services we offer as well as the philosophy that governs how we manage the business.

Oh yeah, why “evoluciòn” and not evolution? Evoluciòn has a flare and style to it with its Spanish pronunciation. Most importantly the word really hits home because open and community focused the Latin American cultures are. We’ve said it from the beginning and we are living by it today. It’s all about building community and there are some strong parallels between evo and Latin American culture.

Viva la evoluciòn!

Bp

PS: If you have feedback for myself or for the master of e-commerce please email us at nathan at evo.com  or  bryce at evo.com.