Project: 2018 Philadelphia Union Playoff Branding
Client: Philadelphia Union
Role: Lead Designer, Art Director
Collaborated With: Marketing Manager, Junior Designer, Chief Marketing Officer
Role: Lead Designer, Art Director
Collaborated With: Marketing Manager, Junior Designer, Chief Marketing Officer
The Problem: After making the playoffs for only the second time in club history in 2016, the Union failed to make it to the 2017 postseason. In 2018 the boys in blue found themselves within arms reach of their goal months away from the final match of the season. With a fanbase clamoring for a better performance out of their team, and a oversaturated sports market, how does the new kid on the block get noticed?
1. The Chase
Because it wasn't guaranteed that the team would clinch the playoffs before the last match, Playoffs messaging had to be included on all creative within the last few months of the regular season. In service to establishing a brand that was pop culture heavy and not afraid to go right up to the line, a sort of Parental Advisory sticker was created for use as a bug on creative leading up to the actual moment of clinching.
Special 'Chase' version of promotional image for one of the final games in the 2018 MLS Regular Seaon
2. We're In
When the team clinched a playoff spot the text on the sticker changed and the albums started to drop. Continuing the musical theme and using iconic albums that spoke to the large 40-something male demographic of the fanbase (Metallica's Black Album and Pearl Jam's 10), popular artists from Philadelphia (, , and ), and some of the players, and mascot's favorite alubms (, and Wu-Tang Clan's Wu-Tang Forever) the team released an album cover every other day on social media in order to keep the fanbase engaged.
Top Row: Metallica's Black Album, Meek Mill's Dreamchasers 3, The Roots' Illadelph Halflife, Pearl Jam's 10
Bottom Row: Lil Uzi Vert's Luv is Rage 2, Wu-Tang Clan's Wu-Tang Forever, A$AP Rocky's Long. Live. A$AP
3. Fear No One
On the day the regular season ended, the tagline and iconography for the actual playoff run was released. Using one of the internal branding pillars, fearlessness, as the base "Fear No One" was used to encapsulate both the brand identity and the idea that the players would, despite being underdogs, not waiver in the face of large odds stacked against them. For the icon, the snake from the team crest was emphasized and stylized to wrap within and around the MLS Cup trophy symbolizing a stranglehold on the league the Union was vying for.
4. Gametime
After one final photo shoot to stockpile dramatic and energetic imagery, the game began. Game graphics featured high contrast, playing deep shadows of the new photography off of the bright, shiny gold that evoked the pursuit of a championship. Bold, but imperfect, fonts were chosen to promote legibility and toughness.
