MENDO and Union present Frame/Work

MENDO’s first book of 2019 bundles a collective of young urban professionals who take on life in the city with attitude and energy – despite the many bumps that may be on their routes. In collaboration with Union, Frame/Work tells their stories through words and images that inspire you to do the same.

About a year ago we first came in contact with the Dutch bicycle brand Union. A typical Dutch cycling company that has been making bikes since 1904. Union has been around for over a century, but that doesn’t make them a traditional company. When they wanted to do something different in terms of branding, they ran into MENDO. In the past year Union collected stories from various remarkable people who add color to their city. These stories were captured by photographer Jacob van Rozelaar and written by Claire van de Graaff. The result is a beautiful book that inspires every young metropolitan citizen. Union’s Brand Manager Hugo Velthuis is pleased with the result. “I can’t stop talking about it. At first, the plans were there for an online campaign. But as things got going, we saw potential in making a book out of it. My colleague Sven Muts worked together with creative strategist Ivo Kleppe to find the best way possible and we found out MENDO was the best partner for the job.”

MENDO’s Roy Rietstap: “When Union approached us they quickly made clear that it shouldn’t be a commercial brochure. So we treated the book like we would do usually, and created something that fits in people’s homes and in our store. That means a focus on visual inspiration, strong typography, and a classic linen cover. One of the first photo shoots and interviews was with our very own Gunifort. He embodies the characters Union was looking for for this book. We used one of his photos for the mockup and it turned out it fitted very well in the concept design of the cover. We kept saying: “We will find a better image along the way.” But even when we received the very last images, this image captured the concept of the book best. So we choose to use this image for the cover, despite the fact that it is a portrait of Gunifort.” Besides MENDO’s Gunifort Uwambaga the book features Elmer Oomkens & Francesco Grassotti, Nigel van der Horst, Lydian Zoetman & Michel Ordeman, Emile van der Staak, Silke Tijkotte, Daan Smeltzer, Clarissa Slingerland, Rein Rambaldo, Sebastiaan van Bokkel, Ralph Behouden, Annemoon Geurts, Rogier de Haan, Britt van der Does. Fourteen chapters covering the unique stories of these engaging individuals.

“It wasn’t our purpose to make a commercial for Union,” Hugo Velthuis explains. “We wanted to create a book that appeals to our clientele. A book that shows what we stand for as a brand, with inspiring people who can reach a certain audience. You could describe it as an offline influencer strategy. Instead of Instagram, we used this book as our platform.” You too can be an influencer! If you buy Frame/Work this month, you’ll have the chance to can win one of the two Limited Edition MENDO/Union Flow bikes. According to Hugo it is “a very nice bike. Your position is always perfect, and it comes with premium accessories such as leather seatings.” Winners will be announced in February.