The start of November saw UEFA launch the branding for the final of its flagship club tournament the 2022 Champions League in St Petersburg with assets built around artwork by renowned Russian artist Maksim Zhestkov.
UEFA agency EveryFriday, which has worked with UEFA since 2019, commissioned Zhestkov to create the anchor art for the event and then created an entire visual identity for game which will be played at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg.
Alongside developing and directing the branding, the agency was responsible for the logo (depicting Scarlet Sails which celebrate the stadium design), the wordmark, the colour palette (which captures the vibrant atmosphere of the White Nights Festival) and graphic design which draws on the iconic Russian abstract art style made famous by artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich.
The brand assets also include visual references to several iconic Saint Petersburg landmarks: including it’s famous bridge, its Bronze Horseman statue (a monument to the city’s founder Peter the Great), Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and the Lakhta Centre (Europe’s tallest building which overlooks the Gazprom Arena).
According to EveryFriday, Zhestkov employed a creative technique called ‘Suprematism’: an Russian art movement which began more than a century ago and which is based around geometric forms.
The identity was unveiled at an event in St Petersburg and promoted via a PR push and social content.
The branding for the 2022 #UCLfinal in Saint Petersburg has been revealed, drawing on an abstract art style inspired by Russian artists Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich #UCL
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 23, 2021
“We wanted to capture the emotion of the final itself. The anticipation of it all. The explosion of emotion that will fill the city,” explained EveryFriday’s Dan Fernandez. “An approach coinciding perfectly with that particular time of year in St. Petersburg, The White Nights Festival. When fireworks fill the light night sky and the city comes alive. Expressing all this through the revolutionary spirt of Suprematism, an art form born from the city and based upon “the supremacy of pure artistic feeling”. Resulting in an identity that reflects both the spirt of St Petersburg and the significance of the evening. A night to never forget.”
Zhestkov himself added: “Working on a piece for the UEFA Champions League final was a creative challenge, as it had to capture the revolutionary spirit of Saint Petersburg that is hidden behind the classical facade of the city while also featuring modern landmarks, together with more recognisable buildings, built centuries ago. Together with the creative team, we decided to approach Saint Petersburg’s architecture with a Suprematist mindset, as this influential art movement is tightly connected with the city that hosted the first ever Suprematist exhibition in 1915. Experimenting with the purest shapes extracted from the city, we were able to create a lively composition full of anticipation and energy to accompany the final.”
The project was led by agency EveryFriday where the team included Executive Creative Director Dan Fernandez, Designer Tor Ronald, Art Creatives Rob Freeman and Rob Hougton, Producers Nick Warry and Adam Overton and Lead Artist Maksim Zhestkov.
Comment
This launch follows on from the October unveiling of the brand assets and visual identity for the 2024 UEFA European Championships in Berlin.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.