World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024 Glasgow Event Brand Identity

Following on from our successful brand positioning, identity and collateral that helped Glasgow receive the honour of hosting the 2024 edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships on the 1st December 2021, we were delighted to win a competitive tender, enabling us to continue with our creative ambition to create the event brand identity and an associated visual framework that we believe is versitile enough to take the hosts through the complete event life cycle, a coherent visual journey from initial communication through to presentation at the event incorporating on screen and venue dressing.

From a design perspective, there were a number of challenges to meet. Firstly, to incorporate a variety of themes and narratives articulated in the client brief. The flower head, which is represented by the running track lanes, sits on a diamond tartan pattern also reflecting the Arena’s geometric architecture, all underpinned by an abstract representation of the classic victory pose - arms aloft, universal to sport at all levels, as winners cross the finish line. Bright, youthful colours have been chosen for the mark, with the rubine red tones linking to the city’s People Make Glasgow brand and the green representing the event’s commitment to sustainability.

Another core requirement was to adhere strictly to the World Athletics event identity system. As such, throughout the process, careful consideration was given to how the creative elements would fit into their ‘Wave’ shape. Essentially creating a logo with a logo.

Finally, success is also dependent on creating a mark that will encourage domestic pride and support by avoiding a visual rehash of the many Scottish clichés out there, but also providing global audiences with something they can recognise as ‘Scottish’ and often, expect to see. We believe the mark balances a Scottish flavour to the event with a contemporary twist to the nation’s iconic emblem, the thistle.