The second half of March, immediately ahead of the first round of qualifying matches, saw UEFA launch a new brand identity for Euro 2020
The identity, which was developed in harness with graphics agency Jump, spans redesigned on and off-air brand identity which will run through the UEFA European Qualifiers.
The new identity suite includes on-air opening and closing titles, plus match graphics design and off-air graphic assets including tickets, notepads and bags, as well as the pre-match team line-up arch, social media content, billboards and a new mascot
The refreshed title sequence has a strong football narrative that aims to emphasise the skill and movement of the players.
It was shot using motion capture and animated in Cinema 4D and features footballers in a stripped-back and stylised environment.
UEFA and Jump created 55 versions of the opening and closing titles, featuring the team kit of each participating national association.
While the logo ‘heart’ motif was created to initiate all of the animations, drawing inspiration from the European Qualifiers logo.
Jump Senior Art Director Russell Hilliard explained: “The shapes on the edges of the graphics were also defined by the heart pulses, keeping the EQ Heart at the centre of our refresh.”
While UEFA also introduced a ‘freestyling, street and panna culture-inspired mascot’ for UEFA Euro 2020 called ‘Skillzy’.
Making its debut in Amsterdam in front of 55,000 fans gathered for the high profile European Qualifier between the Netherlands and Germany.
The character was joined on the pitch pre-game by some of the world’s leading freestylers – including Liv Cooke and Tobias Becs – who together form a new UEFA Euro 2020 Mascot Team.
The trio are challenging freestylers and football fans in each of the 12 host cities to join them via a new online competition called ‘Your Move’ – https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/your-move/.
People from across the 12 UEFA Euro 2020 host nations are invited to upload a video of skills that best represent their host city for a chance to play a role during next year’s finals.
The mascot team will draw up a shortlist from the entries which will then be put to a public vote to determine two winners (one male, one female) for each of the host cities: Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and Saint Petersburg.
The 24 winners will become local UEFA EURO 2020 Freestylers and will get the chance to display their skills at selected events.
The mascot campaign was also amplified across the rights-owner’s digital and social channels.
What an introduction! Skillzy, Liv and Tobias were
Now it’s time for you to join
Show us #YourMove and join them: https://t.co/9AJpTBb8Ie pic.twitter.com/paCaZDLnAp— UEFA EURO 2020 (@UEFAEURO) March 24, 2019
Cooke, an English former world champion and Together #WePlayStrong ambassador, said: “Being able to take the beauty of freestyling, street football and panna to football fans all over Europe is a really special opportunity. Whether it’s playing in the park or on the world stage, whether it is football or freestyling, it’s about expressing yourself with the ball at your feet.”
Becs added: “UEFA EURO 2020 will be one of the biggest sporting events in history, and the involvement of freestyle culture will only enhance it as a spectacle and make sure there is something for everyone. This feels like a really exciting crossover moment.”
Comment:
The new identity package follows in the footsteps of a similar tie-up between UEFA and Jump for the original on- and off-air toolkits for the European Qualifiers competition back in 2014.
The qualifying tournament determines the teams who will contest the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
Instead of having a single host nation, Euro 2020 (the 16th UEFA European Championship: a quadrennial international men’s football championship of Europe) is unusually set to be held in 12 different cities in 12 European countries from 12 June to 12 July 2020.
Links:
UEFA / Euro 2020
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020
https://www.instagram.com/uefa_official/
https://www.youtube.com/user/UEFA
Jump Design
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.