Project Overview
Tasked to define a pilot football scheme offering under 18s life skills and mentoring, we took inspiration from the wise words of Mr Dennis Bergkamp. After developing the name, idea and identity we launched the campaign to show Hackney youngsters they had everyone’s backing.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Matt Partis - Creative Director
Dan Allan - Creative
Paul Howard - Head of Creative
Joshua Channon - Account Executive
Mark Whiteway - Managing Director
Project Brief
Working closely with the key project stakeholders, Volunteering Matters, Lane 4, and Sporting Hackney FC, we gave the scheme a clear purpose that immediately captured the duality of the initiative – to be Behind Every Kick. The new purpose helped unify the internal team of different organisations behind one common objective, whilst encouraging external support on and off the pitch. It showed our audience they would always have people supporting them, whatever the situation.
The new purpose cleverly acted as the brand name, a core message internally and a sign of solidarity externally. Tone of voice and messaging were developed to honestly inform and explain the different parts of the brands offer without patronising.
Parallels were drawn between the football coaching diagrams and an unconventional movement through life, inspiring a bright identity that visually delivered the brand purpose.
Project Innovation/Need
The Behind Every Kick offer was not immediately clear to first time viewers. It combines a unique amalgamation of sports coaching, personal development training and mentoring. Don’t Panic Partners created a brand that simplified this offer and made it easily understandable to all audiences.
Design Challenge
With the initiative being a pilot scheme, there was zero awareness of the project amongst our target audience. Whilst the chance to play football created an immediate appeal, the educational side of the project would potentially be misunderstood and perceived as patronising by our audience, preventing the scheme from taking off.
Effectiveness
The brand was used primarily as a recruitment tool to target participants to sign up to the scheme during the pilot stage. After filling all places on the successful pilot, the brand has now evolved and is successfully targeting a new audience: sponsors, prospective clubs and volunteer mentors. Aided by the clear and concise branding, BEK is now branching into more sports, more clubs in London and is open to both boys and girls.
“I believe the new branding will not only help to attract participants to the project, but also future funding. Using the smart and dynamic branding on our mentor recruitment materials highlighted that we are a partnership of high profile organisations, and therefore, I think, made it an attractive and unique proposition for the potential volunteers.”
Marianne Lingwood – Volunteering Matters
“The branding has definitely helped add a professional look and feel to the sessions… a great reflection of the programme and strategic thinking we want the players to take on board. The loud, bold visuals are attractive and eye catching to those players on the programme, well aligned to the programme’s delivery method, and very identifiable.”
Adam Wilson – Lane 4
Graphic Design - Identity and Branding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.
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