World Cup Sponsorship: "ADIDAS WORLD CUP 2010 VISUAL LANGUAGE" Design & Branding by 180 Amsterdam

Category: Broadcast Design & Graphics
Advertiser: ADIDAS INTERNATIONAL
Product/Service: ADIDAS
Agency: 180 AMSTERDAM
Date of First Appearance: May 25 2009 12:00AM
Entrant Company: 180 AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Executive Creative Director: Andy Fackrell (180 Amsterdam)
Art Director: Martin Terhart (180 Amsterdam)
writer/ Art director: Peter Albores (180 Amsterdam)
Head of Design: Julian Wade (180 Amsterdam)
Designer: Kay Schalker (180 Amsterdam)
Senior Designer: Janneke van Oorschot (adidas AG)
Vice President Corporate Design and Events: Kadie Casey (adidas AG)
Writer: Julian Wade (180 Amsterdam)
Art Director: Emile Willmar (180 Amsterdam)
Art Director: Benjamin Bartles (180 Amsterdam)
Print Producer: Maria Perez (180 Amsterdam)
Print Producer: Marlon Lee (180 Amsterdam)
Typographer: Yomar Augusto (180 Amsterdam)
Typographer: Alan Von Luztau (180 Amsterdam)
Studio Manager: Steve Voyce (180 Amsterdam)
Senior Designer: Jurgen Rank (adidas AG)
Producer: Eline Bakker (180 Amsterdam)
Head of Product Design: Thomas Weege (adidas AG)
Senior Designer: Bettina Bruder (adidas AG)
Media placement: Retail - All Adidas Football In Store Communication - June 2009
Media placement: The Official World Cup 2010 Match Ball - The Official World Cup Match Ball - June 2009
Media placement: Adidas Official Football Kits - The Official World Cup Kits - June 2009
Media placement: Print Ads For The Adidas World Cup 2010 Campaign - Milk HK, - June 2009
Media placement: TV Ads For The Adidas World Cup 2010 Campaign Communications - Cinemas In BENELUX, UK And Elswe\here Across Europe - June 2009
Media placement: Adidas Football Boots - UK TV, Romania TV And TBC - June 2009
Media placement: Adidas Every Team Needs "The Ultimate Search" Graphic Novel - Adidas In Store Give Away Materials Worldwide - June 2009

Describe the challenges and key objectives
Football has always meant team to adidas. Quite simply, it's the soul of how adidas thinks and believes football is and should be about. This is the message we were asked to share with the globe from June 2009 through to July 2010: that when eleven come together as one, magic happens and the world becomes inspired. Every team needs diversity in unity, eleven individuals playing as one. Similarly, South Africa, the host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is built on the same values. Eleven official languages - one nation.

Describe the brief from the client
On June 11th, 2010 a ball will be placed on the centre circle of the pitch in City Stadium, Johannesburg, and for the first time ever on African soil a FIFA World Cup will kick off. Our challenge was clear: create a unique and powerful design language for adidas football in the build up to this historic event across all disciplines. One that fulfils diverse needs yet is focused in its message.

Describe how you arrived at the final design
So we took inspiration from the spirit of South Africa - the rainbow nation and football itself, 11 players and 11 languages. Each represented by a colored thread. The rounded forms echoing the central panel of the Official match ball of the tournament. Its lines dashed to reference traditional fabric weaving. An approach so meaningful, powerful, and relevant that it now affects the very mark that is used to identify the adidas brand, a first in the history of the brand. An idea becoming the mark that will unify all points on the journey that consumers will take towards South Africa, all touched by adidas football along the way.

Give some indication of how successful the outcome was in the market
The Unity typefont and Logo are used for player names and numbers on the National kits of Argentina, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and Spain. It emblazons packaging of all adidas World Cup products, as well as calling out 'Jabulani' on its inspiration the Official Match Ball of the tournament. But the Unity font and logo also live off the field - being used for the setting of all headlines and body copy across every single piece of adidas World Cup communications and in all media: Film, Content, Print, Digital, Gaming and Events. This summer this Visual Language will have an audience of billions - while its roots remain firmly based on the pitches of South Africa.