2011 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

Qatar’s ambitious plans helped shape and define the essence of what makes their bid brand unique. This was then distilled into the single-minded promise that the brand will “Transcend the Extraordinary” in everything it does. Supplied with a simple logo, we needed to create a branded world around it that resonated as effectively with the youth of the local population as with international business partners. Along with real stand out from the competition, the identity system also needed an incredible amount of flexibility, being realised across hundreds of applications and a broad media mix.

The Brief

The FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar will be unlike any ever seen before. The travelling fan will be treated to the first compact tournament, with short journeys between stadium locations and low-carbon cooling technologies being deployed for stadiums and training grounds. The burgeoning nation-state’s plans are nothing short of extraordinary. In order to generate the support required for a successful bid, the brand must communicate these benefits. And it must achieve this on a national Qatari level to generate support, on a regional level to secure the backing of its neighbours in an underdeveloped football region, and most importantly FIFA.

How the final design was conceived

Our creative inspiration draws from the youthful energy of the Arab state, and combines it with all the passion and colour of football. The extensive identity system includes a suite of bold football illustrations, dynamic photographs, calligraphy, a newly commissioned font and a world of colours and textures that standout both in print and on-screen. The benefits of this unique bid, and ultimately the legacy for the game and for the world, can now be communicated as effectively on a business card as on an enormous building wrap in Doha.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

On the 2nd of December FIFA awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup with FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter declaring that “The World Cup is going to new lands and I am a happy President as we speak of the development of football”.