Close-up of a metallic gold-colored object against a dark purple background, with a small central edition.
Close-up of a metallic gold-colored object against a dark purple background, with a small central edition.

Tomo / How a bouldering club for all levels carved out a lane between playground-cute and gym-bro-exclusive, with a brand so loved that 8% of revenue now comes from merch.

Close-up of a purple background with bold white text that reads 'TEAM' and black, graffiti-style outline of a hand making a fist.
Person lying on a bed reading a book with a purple tote bag nearby, shoes at the foot of the bed, and magazines on the bed.
Person lying on a bed reading a book with a purple tote bag nearby, shoes at the foot of the bed, and magazines on the bed.
A pink baseball cap with orange and yellow text on the brim, placed on a wooden surface in front of a row of books and a small table lamp.
A pink baseball cap with orange and yellow text on the brim, placed on a wooden surface in front of a row of books and a small table lamp.
A building exterior with a yellow sign that reads 'BOULDERING CLUB' on a corner wall, and part of the wall is light gray. The image is divided into two halves, one showing the wall in darkness and the other in brightness, creating a split effect.
A building exterior with a yellow sign that reads 'BOULDERING CLUB' on a corner wall, and part of the wall is light gray. The image is divided into two halves, one showing the wall in darkness and the other in brightness, creating a split effect.
Climbing gear consisting of a carabiner attached to a red and black woven rope, with a knot, against a dark background and a blurred yellow-green ground.
Climbing gear consisting of a carabiner attached to a red and black woven rope, with a knot, against a dark background and a blurred yellow-green ground.
Person wearing a black baseball cap and a yellow T-shirt crouching to look into an open refrigerator with various food items inside. They are wearing black shorts and white sneakers with colorful accents.
Person wearing a black baseball cap and a yellow T-shirt crouching to look into an open refrigerator with various food items inside. They are wearing black shorts and white sneakers with colorful accents.
Colorful climbing holds arranged against a black background, with a red gradient at the bottom.
A wooden table with a bright green banner hanging from it that reads 'Bouldering Club' in pink letters with some Chinese characters underneath. On the table are a pile of magazines, a gray and white lamp, and a white plastic crate with a bottle opener on top. On the ground below the table are a pair of white Skechers athletic shoes. The background is a plain white wall with part of a glass vase with green plants on the right side.
A wooden table with a bright green banner hanging from it that reads 'Bouldering Club' in pink letters with some Chinese characters underneath. On the table are a pile of magazines, a gray and white lamp, and a white plastic crate with a bottle opener on top. On the ground below the table are a pair of white Skechers athletic shoes. The background is a plain white wall with part of a glass vase with green plants on the right side.
A silver water bottle with a blue logo and black graffiti-style lettering hanging on a pink and white checkered rope against a black background with green gradient at the bottom.
A silver water bottle with a blue logo and black graffiti-style lettering hanging on a pink and white checkered rope against a black background with green gradient at the bottom.
An outdoor A-frame sign with a purple background and black hand-drawn peace sign. The sign includes orange text reading "Discomfort This Way" and an orange arrow pointing to the right. It is positioned on a tiled sidewalk against a tiled wall.
An outdoor A-frame sign with a purple background and black hand-drawn peace sign. The sign includes orange text reading "Discomfort This Way" and an orange arrow pointing to the right. It is positioned on a tiled sidewalk against a tiled wall.
Close-up of a golden metallic object with a Phillips head screw on a dark background with purple and pink gradient.
Close-up of a golden metallic object with a Phillips head screw on a dark background with purple and pink gradient.

Project Information

Stage

Pre-Launch

Industry

Health & Wellness

Services

Brand Sprint

Impact Points

Community & Belonging

  • As a B Corp, Odd Notion only partners with founders building products that benefit people and planet. We sort that commitment into three tiers:

    • Measured impact — brands with verified, certified outcomes, like a fellow B Corp.

    • Unmeasured impact — brands doing real good that haven't yet quantified it.

    • Do no harm — brands we're proud to build because of how they operate.

    Tomo sits in our unmeasured-impact tier. Built on accessibility, diversity, play, and progress, it makes climbing welcoming to all levels and uses its space to build real community — a place to grow, not just train. The good is woven into how Tomo operates; it simply hasn't been formally measured.

Situation

Tomo is a bouldering club for climbers of all kinds — a place where the journey matters more than the finish line and growth always outweighs skill. Built on accessibility, diversity, play, and progress, its mission is to welcome and challenge climbers at every level, from total rookies to dedicated veterans, and to turn a climbing gym into a genuine community. To do that, Tomo needed a brand and voice as distinctive as the experience on its walls.

Problem

Climbing brands tend to fall into two camps: family-friendly and playground-cute on one side, gym-bro and exclusive on the other. Neither fit Tomo. The challenge was to carve out the space in between — welcoming enough that a first-timer feels invited, credible enough that a seasoned climber knows they won't outgrow it. Tomo needed to sound fun without being soft, and serious about growth without being intimidating, all in a category where it's easy to alienate one audience while courting the other.

Solution

We built Tomo's voice and messaging strategy around a Jester/Hero hybrid — bold, playful, and serious about growth, but never about itself. We gave the brand a voice that's gritty, quick-witted, emboldening, and saucy: the friend who gives tough love because they believe in you. We defined three message pillars — Challenge, Empowerment, and Community — to keep the brand's motivating, growth-minded attitude consistent across every touchpoint, and landed it all in a tagline that says exactly what Tomo offers: Embrace the challenge, find your people.

Credits

Strategy: Eleazar Ruiz
Creative Direction: Eleazar Ruiz
Graphic Design: Eleazar Ruiz, Sam Stember
Illustrations: Sam Stember
Tone & Voice: Diana Taggart
3D: Matt Gilbert
Motion Design: Greg Stewart

Impact since brand launch

annual revenue from merch

8%

Authentic community connection

Members describe the brand as more authentic and genuinely cool — pride in representing it.

Joel Velasco, Co-founder at Tomo bouldering Club

“Did Odd Notion it deliver? For sure. The brand is so popular we joke we should've started a t-shirt company. It's cooler, more authentic, more connected to who we are.”

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