A New Look for The UEFA Champions League Brand
One of the world’s biggest sporting competitions, the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League, has a vibrant new look based on ‘Highlighting moments that make the ultimate stage’.
The connected stars from the ‘starball’ in the UEFA Champions League logo are the centerpiece of this new brand identity. The concept captures the iconic moments of extraordinary feats of skill and ability that make UEFA Champions League match nights so special.
The branding has been designed to be more flexible while building on established elements such as the anthem, the stadium, and the trophy. The blue colour palette deriving from UEFA Champions League match nights has been enriched with new accent colors – magenta and cyan – to support the fresher look.
UEFA – Visually articulating the brand
The new identity visually expresses the refined UEFA Champions League brand positioning. It consolidates the core brand values that the competition is known for, while highlighting the leading role it plays in football. The UEFA Champions League has expanded to become part of the global entertainment environment, rather than just solely being a sports event.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director, UEFA Events SA: “The UEFA Champions League is a globally recognized brand in football, sports, and entertainment. This brand refresh maximizes the opportunities to engage with fans and stakeholders across new technologies and platforms.”
EFA Champions League brand for the 2018/19 season has a vibrant new look
UEFA’s Bold New Look is Cleaner – Catering To A Modern Digital World
The refined brand identity has been created to support digital, mobile and social media platforms. The new assets allow for an easier, scalable brand integration (from soft to full branding) on smaller surfaces and mobile devices.
The level of detail on the ‘ultimate stage’ stadium and ‘starball’ visuals has been enhanced to cater for a richer ultra-high-definition television experience.
This will ensure that the brand remains relevant and engaging for fans and will enable them to interact with it, as technology and content platforms develop.
BackStory: UEFA’s Branding is Updated Every 3 Years
UEFA revisits its competition brand identity every three years, in sync with the commercial cycle of broadcast and sponsorship rights. Compared with previous brand identity updates, the new design is a greater leap forward. While the ‘starball’ visual gains importance in the new identity, the distinct and successful ‘ultimate stage’ arena still features in the branding package.
This provides an extended range of key visuals that can be used for communication purposes, both internally as well as by UEFA’s partners
Mark Hyde, head of design, BT Sport said, “Confident, contemporary and courageous. With refined elegance and a vibrant injection of color, the UEFA Champions League brand upholds its position as possibly the most iconic of sporting identities.”
Hans Erik Tuijt, global sponsorship director, Heineken agrees with the new look and said, “The branding is fresh and appealing. It gives the competition a new, contemporary look while remaining premium.”
Behind the Scene: Who Made the UEFA Brand Changes?
The identity has been developed in collaboration with UEFA’s marketing partner, TEAM Marketing AG, and the London-based creative agency DesignStudio.
