INVOLVEMENT
- Brand Strategy
- Identity Development
- UX Design
- Web development
- Digital Design
- Print Design
- Marketing Collateral
The Brief
This is a long-term creative partnership that spans two brand identities and three to four years of ongoing work. It began with RHM Bodyshop, a Cornwall-based premium automotive repair and restoration specialist, for whom I built the original brand from scratch.
When the business took on a new partner and made the strategic decision to move away from abbreviated naming, I led the full rebrand to Race Hill Motors: new name rationale, new visual identity, new brand guidelines, new website, and a complete suite of digital and print assets to launch the brand afresh.
The Problem
Premium automotive repair is a trust-dependent market. Customers aren’t choosing a garage, they’re choosing someone to handle vehicles they love, often worth tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. For a Cornwall-based independent specialist, the challenge was competing for that trust against well-known national names, without a national marketing budget.
The rebrand added a second layer of complexity: how do you transition an existing, locally recognised brand to a new name without losing the credibility and customer recognition that had been built over years? Every creative decision had to honour the existing reputation while signalling a confident new chapter.
Insight
Classic car owners don’t just want a good mechanic they want to feel that their car is understood. The craftsmanship, the history, the emotional value. A brand that communicates precision, care, and genuine expertise doesn’t just attract local customers – it attracts the right customers, wherever they are.
The insight that shaped everything was that Race Hill Motors’ reputation could travel further than Cornwall if the brand looked and felt worthy of the work it was doing. Premium visual identity, high-quality video content, and authentic storytelling weren’t just marketing – they were proof.
Design Intent
Across both brand phases, the creative approach centred on one thing: making the quality of Race Hill Motors’ work impossible to ignore. Every asset from the logo to the TikTok content was designed to communicate precision, expertise, and pride in the craft.
Brand Identity
RHM Bodyshop & Race Hill Motors
- Created the original RHM Bodyshop brand identity from scratch. Logo, visual language, guidelines, and supporting print and digital assets.
- Led the full rebrand to Race Hill Motors including naming rationale, new visual identity, brand guidelines, and launch creative.
- Designed a premium visual system that positioned the business firmly at the high-end of the automotive repair market communicating precision and quality at every touchpoint.
- Produced branded merchandise including workwear extending the brand into the physical environment of the workshop itself.
Website
- Designed and developed a visually-led website built around high-impact imagery using the quality of the restoration work itself as the primary trust signal.
- Site architecture designed to capture both local customers and long-distance classic car owners searching for a trustworthy specialist.
- Supported by paid advertising to drive targeted traffic and grow the customer base beyond Cornwall.
Social Media & Video Content
- Produced 30–40 social videos and event films across the full partnership short-form social content alongside longer storytelling films documenting full restoration projects.
- Event videos captured the craft and narrative of individual restoration journeys giving classic car owners a window into the care and skill involved.
- TikTok content created specifically for the platform’s format and audience achieving 119.2k and 110.3k views on individual videos for a local Cornwall business.
- YouTube channel built as the home for longer-form content driving sustained organic growth and word-of-mouth referrals.
- Regular email newsletters designed and developed to promote upcoming events and keep the existing customer base engaged.
The video content strategy was central to the brand’s growth authentically showcasing the work, the people, and the passion behind Race Hill Motors in a way that static brand assets alone never could.
Outcome
A local Cornwall automotive specialist grew from word-of-mouth reputation to a nationally recognised brand attracting classic car owners from across the UK who specifically sought out Race Hill Motors based on the brand’s online presence and reputation.
@racehillmotors Shaping the filler work & welding on a Volvo P1800ES #bodyfiller #welding #car #auto #autobodyshop #carsoftiktok #vintage #classiccar #carrestoration ♬ Speed (Extended) – Amber Echo
