A year in review

A year in review 
After the events of 2020, notably Covid and Brexit, Red Hot started the year 2021 with ambitious plans and big visions for the future. We underwent a rebrand and faced multiple challenges within our supply chain, while also encountering rewarding success and an ever-growing sense of unity within our community. As we prepare to welcome the new year with enthusiasm, we can't help but look back on everything we accomplished in 2021. Take a trip down memory lane with us as we revisit everything that happened this year in the Red Hot universe.  
 


Red Hot's rebrand 

One of the first things we focused on in 2021 was our brand aesthetic, including our Instagram account and website. Alec Diesing, Managing Director of Red Hot, was inspired by the global presence of the community that Creative Director and Photographer Thomas Knights had built over the years and saw great potential in expanding and elevating the brand. 


"What drew me in most, upon joining Red Hot, was Thomas' photography. His storytelling allowed me to understand what the brand and its audience stand for and resonate with. All his works are incredibly highly produced, and I wanted that standard to be reflected across all platforms - from a creative perspective to a corporate level." 

- Alec Diesing, Managing Director, Red Hot 


The mission of the rebrand was to align the brand's core message with Thomas Knights' photography and outstanding works: 


Over the years, Instagram has turned into Red Hot's most engaging platform. Alec Diesing not only redefined its tone of voice but introduced an all-new visual concept. Considering colour schemes, seasonality, and upcoming campaigns, the brand has curated new and elevated content that aligns with the new vision it has put forward. With Red Hot's core message of self-acceptance and individuality at the forefront,we combined in-house campaign imagery and motion picture with content generated by outstanding creators and models within the community. As a result, our Instagram account gained a tremendous amount of traffic and reached new audiences, allowing us to further spread our message across the globe.  

The juxtaposition between the new visual storytelling across social platforms and the yet untouched website meant that moving website providers and building an all-new webpage was Diesing's next goal. It is crucial for a brand's online presence and website to provide a smooth and effortless customer journey.  
 In order to succeed at this as an e-commerce brand, Diesing pointed out the urgent need to implement a new brand identity and visual guidelines across all online outlets. 
 Graphic Designer and Creative Director of Fenton+Partners, Ian Fenton, collaborated with Red Hot in creating a new look for the brand: from carefully selected fonts to re-envisioning brand emblem and monogram, this collaboration majorly developed and shaped the brand's new identity. 
 


 

Our most significant projects to date 


2022 calendars

In efforts to further elevate the Red Hot brand, the production of our 2022 calendars was also taken to new heights, bringing Thomas' vision to life and giving our calendars a more editorial and cinematic look. For the first time ever, one of our calendars, the Red Hot Motel 2022, includes a short film, written and directed by Thomas Knights and entirely produced by Red Hot.  The Kickstarter campaigns for Super Gingers and the Red Hot Motel broke records in Red Hot's history, as we reached our target goal in less than 24 hours on both occasions. We doubled our target goal for the Red Hot Motel Kickstarter campaign, all while raising vital funds for our charity partners, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the testicular cancer organisation "It's In The Bag". 

 

New Underwear Collection

Throughout this past year, we focused most of our efforts on improving our product range and manufacturing process while being conscious of our environmental impact and carbon footprint. We launched the new Core Collection, our best underwear range to date and a unique statement for those who naturally stand out from the crowd, further emphasising Red Hot's core message. To reduce our footprint and offer a more sustainable alternative to our previous collection, we sourced high-end organic fabrics and worked closely with a sustainable manufacturer in Portugal. We changed our packaging from a single-use plastic zip-lock pouch to a recyclable cardboard envelope, reducing the brand's CO2 emissions and optimising our fulfilment process. 

Continuing our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, we released digital products like Making of Documentaries, digital calendars and iPhone wallpapers to offer solutions for those who want the Red Hot experience with minimum waste.  


 

What's next?

As the brand expands, Red Hot sees new additions to its team, like digital marketing manager Samantha Sanchis, who played a significant role in implementing social media strategies and supporting the creation of the new website. With the brand's mission at the forefront, the new website translates into a seamless and elevated journey for users with innovative digital products and the newly designed underwear collection, featuring eye-catching, avant-garde visuals curated by the new in house graphic designer, Sarah Ellen Brown and implemented by Victoria Savory, who joined the team as e-commerce product manager. Under the leadership of Directing Manager, Alec Diesing, and following the vision of Creative Director, Thomas Knights, Red Hot aims for stellar success in 2022. With exciting projects for the new year and brand new products underway, we look forward to what's to come in the near future.