Fitbit Ace LTE
Because It’s Fun
Fitbit Ace LTE is a new kids wearable brought to you by Google. It’s the first ever connected smartwatch designed to get kids off the couch, and into the chicken-space-race. Yeah, that’s a thing. With 4G LTE and a gazillion games, kids are always close to home, and never far from fun. Google approached us to build a brand and design system around Ace LTE’s four core attributes that speak to kids’ zest for life, and the independence they long for: Bold, Playful, Weird and Lovable.
Our goal was to position Fitbit Ace LTE as the exciting alternative to traditional—and sedentary—gaming experiences. With this in mind, we landed on the brand idea, ‘Because it’s fun’. A brash idea that summed up play for play’s sake, and landed the benefits of movement in a bold and playful way. And, at the same time, did service to the unique gameplay experiences on offer (swimming with talking dolphins in a supermarket, anyone?).
This idea became a springboard for every design decision and brand touchpoint.
Behold! A world where gaming is good for you.
Fun is infectious, and so is language. Having eaten our metaphorical veggies by getting our strategy sorted, we were able to move onto dessert where we let our inner-children loose across messaging pillars, voice-in-action examples, and usage tips.
Our MO was to keep our language bold, clear, energetic and imaginative. And we differentiated the tone across our two audiences: moms and dads needed to be reassured about the benefits of gaming as movement, and for kids, it was all about keeping the focus on fun.
We also partnered with the team on a systems naming exploration, crafting a set of key names for integral product moments, sets, and characters. (Don’t forget to say hi to your eejie—your customizable in-game avatar—they love that).
Straight from the product, into the brand, the backbone of the system was inspired by the ‘squircle’ form of the watch itself. In action, it’s employed as a simple, flexible module to hold art direction, messaging, and all the things that put fun and weird before anything else.
Playing off Ace LTE’s expressive lil’ in-game avatars, we worked with the team to develop a completely custom typeface called Eejie-type Sans. It’s a bold, larger than life typeface, outfitted with the quirks and surprises you’re more than likely to find in the world of Bit Valley—with reference to the watch band’s design thrown in.
The Google Fitbit team set themselves the challenge to design packaging that reduced waste and promoted sustainable practices.
We rolled up our sleeves, did some stretches, and came back with a half-tone illustration style derived from the in-game collectables that not only looks great on the packaging, but is less reliant on full-color printing. Why? Because it’s fun. And the right thing to do.
High fives all round to the amazing Ace team, particularly Nat Beaconsfield, Elliot Burford, Curtis Flanagan, and Anil Sabharwal, who have been the most incredible partners since 2022.
Another huge shout out to the incredibly talented external partners who helped bring this work to life:
Tonje Thilesen—Photography
Kuhl + Han; STEL Design—Device renders
Kuhl + Han; Nexus Studios—Campaign video
