A GLOBAL OBSESSION
The challenge for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ was to create an enduring event identity and system that would:
• support FIFA's Brand and their ownership of the event.
• provide a platform for all commercial and promotional activities
• represent the host nations aspirations and communication goals.
Working with FIFA, FIFA's marketing partners, and the local organising committees, the team succeeded in taking into account the various positions held by each stakeholder whilst ensuring the highest expression of both FIFA and the FIFA World Cup™ brands.
Central to the event presentation was creating a recognisable world icon - the FIFA World Cup Trophy™ - that could be used for each successive event. A crucial part of the process was to create a marketing programme that would provide partners, sponsors and licensees with properties that were highly commercial, unique and protectable.
Great brands need to be built not just through the offer but through powerful strategic and delivery systems that reflect the status of the property. In the case of the FIFA World Cup™, there is no doubt about its popularity around
the world, but each tournament needs to offer a unique perspective and original thinking that goes beyond the cliché. It’s identity and subsequent implementation needs to offer the game, fans, hosts and partners something they can connect with and leverage. Creating the brands, identities and event systems that we have, has involved much more than design. Being able to understand and respond to the myriad of needs, objectives and opinions requires bright strategic, commercial and creative minds that can work together to create immediate impact and sustainable growth.
For the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ the core challenge was to establish a long-term and multi-layered strategy as well as create an event that engaged local audiences as much as the rest of the world. For the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ it was about realising Franz Beckenbauer’s vision for a deliberate move away from the more traditional presentation of the event. The new identity was therefore designed to capture the emotion of football. It reflected a commitment from FIFA and the German Organising Committee to make the FIFA World Cup more than just a perfectly organised event. And the 'Celebrating Faces of Football' reflected the excitement, passion and joy of the event.