Team ANIMAL CYCLING

We turned a community project into an instantly recognizeable brand.

Team ANIMAL Cycling participates in Cycle for the Cause (C4C), a 275-mile, three-day bike ride from Boston to New York City that benefits the life-saving HIV/AIDS services and resources provided by the NYC LGBT Center.

While the team- riding on behalf of ANIMAL, iconic venue of Brooklyn queer nightlife, was highly motivated- their grassroots identity needed a professional, high-value brand platform and a cohesive social media strategy to maximize their fundraising potential and attract major sponsorship- so DEADLIFT jumped in to provide the creative direction necessary to elevate the team from a collective of riders into a compelling, desirable brand capable of hitting ambitious financial goals.

Our primary challenge was translating the emotional impact of the cause into highly engaging digital content and aspirational design assets.

We secured and managed a high-profile design collaboration with the revered fashion designer and culturemaker, Willie Norris. This partnership served as the central brand design asset for the entire campaign, immediately elevating the team’s prestige and desirability.

We oversaw the creative direction and production of the new custom cycling jerseys and caps, which became a powerful, high-impact visual rallying cry for the team’s fundraising efforts.

This- and a set of slick social media templates that the whole team could use to promote their fundraising- paved a path for some major donorship.

The success of the 2025 campaign demonstrates how targeted brand design and professional digital creative direction directly convert into real-world results.

• Fundraising Goal Exceeded: Team ANIMAL Cycling raised over $80,000 for the NYC LGBT Center, solidifying their position as one of the top fundraising teams in the event.
• Brand Equity & Future Sponsorship: The professional presentation and the prestige of the Willie Norris collaboration successfully established the team as a high-value entity, creating a clear and compelling case for attracting large-scale corporate sponsors (e.g., spirits or fitness brands) in future years.
• Proof of Concept: By treating a grassroots fundraising effort like a polished brand launch, we proved that creative investment yields exponential returns in both financial results and community impact.