Don’t mess with Antipodes.
We’re excited to have worked with the Spark Sport New Zealand team to refresh their brand system to help bring to life the brand proposition of ‘See Sport Differently’. The new system covers all brand creative from above the line and broadcast, through to social and functional comms.
As a challenger brand in a market dominated by a larger international network, we carefully considered each element of the system to ensure the entire system reflected the grit, power and passion for sport that is deeply ingrained in the culture of New Zealand. From phonomenal teams like the The All Blacks and the Silver Ferns, to athletes like Valerie Adams and Israel Adesanya.
In order to show a brand that truly does see sport differently, we developed a textured, layered and dynamic broadcast design package guided by the foundations of sport itself. This meant creating a simple, unbreakable set of rules, grid systems or ‘boundaries’, but with the flexibility for ‘play’, allowing the brand to succeed season after season.
The foundation of the visual system is built around Manuka Bold, an iconic condensed typeface by renowned New Zealand type designer Kris Sowersby from Klim Foundry. Although many other typefaces were tested in design development, we landed on Manuka because of its presence and power as well as its craft, which feels intrinsically Kiwi.
With deviant details pilfered from Teutonic timber type, Mānuka grafts a contemporary antipodean aesthetic onto 19th century German root-stock. Tight spacing, closed apertures and sharp joins make a compelling texture, like sunlight sparkling through a forest canopy.
As long time friends and fans of Kris and his work, we’re extremely proud to have developed a system around such superbly crafted typography.
Another focus of the brand refresh was to capture Spark Sport’s unique brand tone, harnessing their passion and knowledge of sport, particularly Kiwi sport. Part of that was to provide guidelines for when and how to use Te Reo Māori as a way of communicating their uniquely home-grown take on sport.
It’s an ethos summed up by this simple statement that forms part of Spark’s brand manifesto: “We don’t just play here. We live here.”
We’re proud to have worked with the Spark Sport team to imbue the brand with an authentic passion for kiwi sport.