Journal / Case study
Case study
· 8 min read
Launching Northwave: a lesson in turning up the volume
What we learned taking a Brooklyn headphone maker from invisible to sold out in 48 hours.
Leo Marin
Founder & creative director
Motion blur — launch campaign still, 2026
(In this article)
01 The brief
02 One idea: the wave
03 Launch week
01
The brief
Northwave made headphones that sounded incredible and looked like everything else on the shelf. The founders wanted a brand that felt as good as the product sounded — without resorting to tech-speak.
02
One idea: the wave
We built the entire identity around a single fluid shape. It became the logo, the packaging graphic, the website transitions and the rhythm of the launch film.
Northwave packaging — product study, 2026
03
Launch week
The first drop sold out in 48 hours, site conversion tripled and the launch film passed 120,000 views in its first fortnight. Most importantly, people started recognising the wave before they read the name.
48h
from launch to a sold-out first drop.
Case study
Identity
Packaging
(Written by)
Leo Marin
Founder and creative director of Gorjon. Ten years of turning quiet companies into brands people talk about.
