Lis Luis

Case study · Brand, space & community

Pole Body & Arts

A brand for a studio where everyone gets to take up space

RoleCreative director (hired)
ScopeBrand, studio space, merch, events, Instagram
Launched2021
Second studio2024
A performer laughing with her arms raised under magenta light, glitter in the air.
The line I wrote for the brandBe
unapologetically
you.
About 85 → several hundredMembers, from the founding group to today across two studios. Estimates from the studio.
+24% revenueOver three years.
Second studio, 2024Demand and class capacity supported a second location.

The brief

A women-owned, queer-owned studio wanted a brand as bold and welcoming as the room itself: a place where people of every body, every identity and every level could move, perform and feel seen. The identity had to live everywhere the studio did, from the sign out front to the showcase stage to the Instagram feed.

The big idea

I wrote the line that became the studio's motto: "Be unapologetically you." It turns a pole class into something bigger than fitness. It's permission. Every part of the brand, from the color to the room to the feed, was built to say it out loud.

The pitch

Most fitness brands sell a better body. This one sells a braver one.

Brand house

Big ideaBe unapologetically you
Promise

A place to move, perform and build confidence without judgment.

InclusiveEvery body, every level, every identity.
Self-expressionYour style, your music, your moves.
CommunityCheered on, never compared.
Personality

Bold. Warm. Proudly queer. A little glam.

Who it's for

The first-timer

Curious, a little nervous. Needs to feel welcome before they feel strong.

The performer

Wants a stage. Showcases give them one.

The regular

Came for class, stayed for the people.

Mood board

Glitter, sweat and pride.

A performer inverted on the pole mid-showcase.
Be unapologetically you.
Pencil sketch of the studio layout with rows of poles.
The empty studio floor glowing violet.
Members posing together after a showcase.
Queer joyEvery bodyShowcase nightGlitterStrengthChosen family
Pencil sketch of the studio plan: reception, seating, merch and studio floor.
The storefront glowing pink at dusk, with a progress pride flag in the door.

Mood board assembled for this portfolio from studio photography and my original space sketches. The positioning and audiences above are concept work; the motto and values are the studio's.

What I did

  • Brand and visual identity, including a restrained script mark that lets the community and performances carry the brand.
  • The motto, "Be unapologetically you."
  • Color stories built for neon, merch and social.
  • Studio layout and aesthetic, from planning sketches to the finished space.
  • Merch concepts and showcase event themes.
  • A modular Instagram system of repeatable templates for showcases, performers and class news.
The pba script mark in six lockups: circle, brush stroke, diamond, banner, heart and starburst.
Electric Fuchsia#E335F6
Magenta Glow#EF1A73
Deep Violet#3D1253
Electric Indigo#821EE8
Studio planning sketch: reception, seating, merch and the studio floor.
Layout sketch exploring pole spacing and sightlines.
The finished studio: rows of poles, mirrors and daylight.

From my sketches to the built studio: one room that works for classes, rehearsals and live showcases.

Instagram content strategy with templates for community, open gym and showcase posts.
Real Instagram posts from the studio feed on two phones.

The Instagram system and real posts from the studio's feed.

What happened

The studio launched in 2021 and grew from about 85 founding members to several hundred. Revenue grew 24% over three years, and in 2024 the studio opened a second location.