Creative round-up July 2024
July has been busy month on the sporting front with the Euros, Wimbledon and now the Paris Olympics. Unsurprisingly, there has been plenty of sports-related design and branding news which also dominates our latest creative round-up…
Team Mongolia’s stylish Olympic kit
The chic Olympic kit worn by Mongolia’s athletes at the Olympic Opening Ceremony has generated a lot of attention. Created by fashion label Michel and Amazonka, the sister designer duo has also designed uniforms for Mongolian Airlines and official kit for previous Olympics.
Boxy vests embellished with beautiful gold embroidery blend modernism with Mongolian tradition. The double layer of top and vest are also worn by traditional Mongolian flag bearers during celebrations and competitions. The gold of the embroidery signifies gold medals and mountains depicted amongst other natural imagery represent hard work and perseverance. Accessories include pouch bags, sash belts, pointed buryat hats and gutal boots and the kit received a viral response when it was launched on social media. Let’s hope that gold thread translates into some gold medals too!
Considering What? Channel 4 Paralympics campaign
A powerful campaign has been released by Channel 4’s in-house agency, 4Creative, to show Paralympians for what they are – world class athletes. Research conducted by Channel 4 found that 60% of people watch the Paralympics to see athletes overcoming disability rather than for exciting sporting competition. The idea of a disabled person ‘overcoming’ their disability is problematic and although they may be meant well, comments such as how ‘brave’, or incredible for ‘someone like that’ or good ‘considering’ their disability, are patronising.
Forces of gravity, time and friction are personified in the advert and Paralympians are shown competing against and overcoming them. The ad is supported by a series of posters showing patronising comments alongside shots of the athletes mid-competition which highlight the absurdity of such remarks. 4Creative’s work is renowned for its irreverence and for presenting ‘ideas and genres in alternative and surprising ways’. They wanted this campaign to make people question their ‘subconscious perceptions’ of Paralympians as well as firing the audience up to watch one of the greatest displays of sporting prowess on earth.
Sprayable trainer
Swiss brand On has unveiled its Cloudboom Strike LS trainer which will debut at the Paris Olympics and be worn by athletes including Kenyan marathon runner Hellen Obiri. It is the first shoe that incorporates an upper made from a lightweight, low-carbon material created by spraying a single length of thermoplastic filament onto a mould supported by a robotic arm - technology which the company has named LightSpray.
The trainers can be produced in just three minutes with the upper sprayed onto a foam rubber and carbon fibre sole. Rather than a standard upper which can consist of 30-40 components, this simplified manufacturing process contributes to the trainer ‘having 75% fewer carbon emissions than On’s other racing shoes.’ It also has the potential to be incorporated into future circular designs as the trainers can be melted and remade.
Olympic Museum rebrand
Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic Museum is home to the largest collection of Olympic artefacts in the world, with more than 100,000 pieces. A recent rebrand by Studio Blackburn focused on improving the museum’s online presence and how people round the world can interact remotely with the museum even if they can’t physically get there. It also needed to align with the Olympic brand as a whole, whilst retaining its own unique identity as both a cultural and sporting institution.
Use of the Olympic colours and typeface provide strong connections to the Olympic masterbrand – the Olympic Headline font appears across the identity, but with a modified ‘M’ which cleverly reflects the 3-pillar motif of the museum’s logo. The new identity will appear everywhere from museum displays and wayfinding to online touchpoints as well as promotional materials including posters.
Lush Wimbledon bath bomb
Cosmetics company Lush really smashed it when they came up with a limited-edition bath bomb for Wimbledon. Exactly like a tennis ball in appearance, it dissolved to turn bath water a vibrant shade of green whilst smelling delightfully of candied lime! Available exclusively from Lush in Wimbledon it was first come, first served! A great example of a brilliant locally relevant product drop and a brand absolutely smashing it!
Co-op new identity
And moving on to some non-sporting news, the Co-op has just been rebranded by design studio, SomeOne. Established in 1844, the Co-op has 2,400 stores and over five million members. A deconstructed logo is central to the new identity and highlights the member-owned structure – each member owns a share of £1 which gives them the chance to have a say on how the cooperative is run. Distinctive shapes known as 'Membershapes', symbolise the individual ownership each member holds. Bespoke typeface and expressive icons have also been introduced.
The new look reinforces the organisation’s commitment to its founding principles of honesty, openness, social responsibility and community care and is being rolled out to all parts of the business including food, funeral care, insurance and legal services.
Port Talbot’s Banksy legacy
Banksy’s artwork ‘Season’s Greetings’ appeared on a garage in Port Talbot back in December 2018 and although it was ultimately removed amidst considerable controversy, its legacy has been the growth of a vibrant street art community in the town. This had existed previously but really kicked off after the Banksy mural and Port Talbot is now renowned for its street art scene and has raised the profile of the genre.
With looming mass job cuts at the local steelworks, it provides a welcome distraction, brightening up the surroundings and boosting people’s morale. There is now an open wall where artists are free to paint and although it was sad the Banksy mural was removed, the resulting street art scene is attracting visitors to a town in dire need of tourism.