Following his Super Bowl win, Marshawn Lynch set out to turn "Beast Mode", his fearless on-field identity, into a lifestyle brand that stood for grit, swagger, and giving back to his hometown of Oakland. I joined from the ground up to help turn this vision into a fully realized brand not only rooted in apparel, but a cultural movement spanning retail, digital commerce, and community roots.

I led brand development, UX, product design, merchandising & product photography, and Shopify e-commerce design for the launch. My role extended across logo design, product strategy, and physical retail launch including flagship stores in Oakland and Seattle. I set a brand foundation that would eventually also helped the team expand into video production, product marketing, and early cannabis-related branding efforts under the Beast Mode label.

• Built the first Shopify-powered Beast Mode store with a mobile-first layout and modular product system to handle viral demand.
• Crafted an identity that merged streetwear grit with a polished sports legacy—apparel, packaging, and site branding all echoed Marshawn’s persona.
• Introduced limited product drops, social-forward campaigns, and frictionless checkout to keep hype high and conversions smooth.
• Supported retail expansion with systems to connect in-store and online inventory, driving a unified customer experience.

At the time, athlete-founded DTC brands were just starting to emerge. Combining celebrity influence with an owned digital platform positioned us to capture demand and build loyalty. Shopify data showed product drops and exclusive access could boost conversion by 45–60% during high-traffic windows. Connecting digital and physical retail also ensured customers could continue shopping even after sell-outs: key to sustaining hype.

Beast Mode launched with viral energy and cultural power. Flagship stores in Oakland and Seattle drew block-long lines and became local fixtures. Online sales surged 310% during the Super Bowl, and our Shopify setup scaled effortlessly.

The brand partnered with Starbucks, Skittles, Seattle Chocolate Company, Amazon, and more. Releases sold out, press flooded in, and the Beast Mode message resonated with fans growing the brand from apparel-first into a cross-industry platform within grit, empowerment, and community at its core.