Florian and Emmanuel, two friends from Toulouse, lifelong athletes. Running, cycling, adventure racing. Frustrated by products that were poorly tolerated, with opaque ingredient lists, they decided to build their own. Pyrene Performance was born from that demand: a French sports nutrition brand rooted in the Pyrenees, refusing to sacrifice science and athlete health for the sake of marketing.
Maurten, SiS, Näak, Tailwind. The market is packed with brands that have built trust over years. Pyrene was starting from zero. The challenge: show up on day one with the stature of an established brand. Premium, credible, athlete-driven. A visual language that earns trust at first glance, whether on a shelf, on a start line, or under a headlamp at 3am mid-race.
Far more than a logo. This was about building an entire brand from nothing. Strategy, positioning, visual identity, packaging for the full product range, e-commerce on Shopify, marketing campaigns, social media, photography, motion. A creative partnership that's still running today.
One tension drove every creative decision: the raw, untamed power of the Pyrenees meets the clinical precision of sports science. The brand had to feel wild and measured at the same time. We immersed ourselves in the ultra-endurance world — the visual codes, the community, the rituals — and built a system that speaks to athletes who know endurance isn't about brute force. It's about intelligent preparation.
Art direction in service of tomorrow's endurance.
Pyrene came to us as a conviction and a blank page. Two founders who knew exactly what their products should do and how they should make athletes feel. Everything else had to be built.
Our goal: build a visual identity capable of standing alongside the biggest names in endurance nutrition.
The Pyrene icon was designed on the golden ratio and the Fibonacci spiral —
two timeless mathematical references that underpin visual harmony in
nature and art.
The icon tells the story, identity and promise of the brand:
1. The letter P from Pyrene®.
2. The triangular shapes of the Pyrenees mountains.
3. The silhouette of an athlete taking off.
The icon and typography are structured according to a proportional scaling system derived from the icon's height (x = 1 on the 1:1.618 golden ratio), modelled by a set of linear equations. Variables x, y, z, a, and b determine spacing and proportions, while the total wordmark width follows 3x+z+a and letter-spacing is governed by a+b+2x+a.
This modular system locks the homothety ratios, ensuring that vertical balance, alignment, and spacing remain constant at any scale. The icon and typography are no longer two separate elements: they form a coherent whole.
To perfect the logo's construction, we must look to the legend of Pyrene. The story tells that the young woman, in love with Hercules, succumbed to grief and exhaustion when the hero left to fulfil his destiny. Hercules built a stone tomb with his own hands to the scale of his sorrow, giving birth to the Pyrenees, the timeless guardians of this love.
The stylised "tears" at the heart of the "e"s in Pyrene® perpetuate the memory of this myth. From a technical standpoint, these incisions act as ink-traps, a typographic technique that anticipates ink bleed during small-scale printing, ensuring perfect legibility while paying tribute to the heritage of the calligraphic gesture.
Not another supplement brand.
A science-first laboratory.
The packaging system extends the same principles of clarity, proportion and balance across the entire Pyrene® catalogue of 13 SKUs: five Gel UltraEndurance® flavours (Neutre, Caf, Myrtille Bio des Pyrénées, Miel Bio des Pyrénées, Fleur d'Oranger), three Hydratation formulas (Neutre, Menthe, Citron Vert), two DrinkMix blends (Neutre, Caf) and three Fondation UltraFlask bottles (250ml, 500ml, 700ml). Each product carries a laboratory-grade visual language.
Performance is communicated through formulation data, precise typography and structured information hierarchy. Controlled white space and immediate colour coding ensure readability at race pace. At kilometre 80, when an athlete reaches into a drop bag, identification must be instant.
The label architecture is modular. Nutritional information, dosage protocols and ingredient transparency are organised in a consistent grid that scales from individual sachets to multi-pack boxes. Each product carries its own colour identity based on flavour, making shelf recognition instant.
Sustainability has been part of the brief from day one. Less material, more recyclability, no compromise on formulation integrity. Pyrene® set out to offer a clear protocol that reduces cognitive load for athletes while respecting the natural environments where endurance sports take place.
No compromise.
Engineered for Endurance.
The social media art direction follows the same strategic logic: a deliberate balance of performance mindset, scientific depth, product education and athlete stories. Content pillars include race-day protocol visuals, ingredient deep-dives, behind-the-scenes formulation content and user-generated athlete photography. Templates were designed for consistency at scale — the founding team can publish on-brand content autonomously without design support for every post.
The Instagram presence (@pyrene_lab) and YouTube channel serve as the brand's primary community touchpoints, with content calibrated for the ultra-endurance audience: detailed, authentic, never superficial.
From zero to shelves in 6 months.
One brand. Fueled by the Pyrenees.
Pyrene® started as a blank page and two founders with a clear vision. Six months later, the brand was on shelves, online across 24 countries, and growing a community of athletes who trust what they see as much as what they consume. Every touchpoint was built as part of the same system — building consistency, trust, and a visual identity as uncompromising as the ambitions behind it. A philosophy we carry into every project, whether it's endurance nutrition, a triathlon coaching brand in Toulouse, an ultra-cycling event series across France or a boutique guest house by the sea.
Florian B.
Co-founder — Pyrene Performance
"Working with Richard was decisive for the birth of Pyrene. His ability to translate a sporting and scientific vision into a strong, coherent, and lasting identity far exceeded our expectations."
Emmanuel L.
Co-founder — Pyrene Performance
"The strategic approach and attention to detail brought to the branding and digital experience allowed Pyrene to immediately position itself as a premium brand."
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French nutrition for ultra-endurance.
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Ultra Bike France®
French ultra-cycling event series.
Pace®
Triathlon and individual sports coaching.
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