UPDATE Newsletter of the European Athletic Association 2|04 August Another 2 INSIDE step forward: EAA President Hansjörg Wirz and The new EAA brand and its European Athlete of the Year 2003 designer Christian Olsson inaugurate the all new website www.european-athletics.org. the EAA brand 6 EVENTS The SPAR European Cup in Bydgoszcz/POL HANSJÖRG WIRZ them recognisable and members of the same family. EAA´s new logotype consists 9 EVENTS Nothing stays the same. This simple truth of a picture mark which depicts stylised Italy dominates the European applies to everything around us. It is true tracks and a word mark consisting of the Mountain Running for nature including us, as humans, it is two words «European Athletics». We be- true for all organisations including busi- lieve strongly that it is our sport and not the 11 DEVELOPMENT nesses and it is also true for entities such as governing body itself that should be pro- our European Athletic Association. The moted wherever possible since this is what Grants awarded to year of 2004 is one of many and substan- the general public relate to. It is for this rea- 12 federations tial changes: we moved our headquarters son that we will no longer use the word from Darmstadt, Germany to Lausanne, «Association» in the logotype. We are con- 12 FINISH Switzerland. A new organisational and fident that this approach is in the very in- Jan Zelezny going for last marketing structure is now in place and terest of European Athletics which will Olympic attempt new members joined our team working at benefit from this prominent exposure. the EAA office. Furthermore, the Council approved the implementation of a new This new look will help us to position Eu- corporate identity at its Spring meeting in ropean Athletics in a changing and highly Lausanne. We felt that the time had come competitive environment. In order to main- to streamline, re-create and re-launch our tain and improve our role among the most visual identity in order to make the EAA, popular sports we must have a modern, and the sport of Athletics that it stands for, comprehensive communications strategy more visible and better recognisable across including a consistent and recognisable all of our activities. graphic design. Our new visual identity broadens the base for our partners inside The goal set for this branding project was the sport of Athletics including the Mem- to create not just a logotype, but a brand ber Federations, the LOCs and our com- architecture, as communications and de- mercial partners and by linking all of our European Athletic Association sign experts call it, which includes and links activities, we are all strengthening our part- Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet 18 1003 Lausanne visually all of our athletics and federation nership in the new and larger universe of Switzerland events, including the Congress, the Calen- European Athletics. dar Conference and our management Phone +41 (21) 313 43 50 seminars, with the competitions held un- [email protected] Fax +41 (21) 313 43 51 Mail [email protected] der the auspices of the EAA. All of our ac- Hansjörg Wirz (SUI) is President of Web www.european-athletics.org tivities will have a common look making the European Athletic Association UPDATE 2|04 Newsletter of the EAA 1 INSIDE European Athletics: the brand building has just begun To compete successfully for attention and resources in today’s increasingly fragmented market place and ever changing en- vironment, the EAA needs a focused and determined ap- proach to its corporate communications. PETR STASTNY The aim of the EAA’s communications strategy must be to enhance the relevance and value of the sport with all of its con- stituencies – athletes, federations, audi- ences, media partners, politicians and, last but not least, commercial partners. A key aspect of mass communications is design. Until now the EAA’s various events have been branded separately and conse- quently recognition of European Athletics by spectators and television viewers is lim- ited. To increase the recognition level and better position the sport, the EAA Council decided that the time was right to create a more modern and comprehensive visual identity. The process was initiated in the summer of 2003 with the aim of delivering the new look to roughly coincide with the move of the EAA Headquarters to Lausanne and the restructuring of the way the EAA mar- kets its top events. Five agencies from four countries (Adjouri from Germany, ANR.BBDO from Sweden, gvap from the 2 Newsletter of the EAA 2|04 UPDATE INSIDE The wired pattern as basic element for print and decoration. Czech Republic, Octagon and re-media The EAA Council approved the brand ar- from the U.K.) presented design concepts chitecture, including the new logo, at its to an EAA selection panel and, after a sec- spring meeting in Lausanne. On the 5th of ond presentation by the top two agencies, August, the master brand was launched ANR.BBDO of Sweden were appointed to world-wide through emails to key con- create a new logotype and develop a com- stituencies, a press release and the inau- plete brand architecture. guration of the new look EAA website. The brief set for the designers was chal- But this is just the first step of a long-term lenging. The final concept had to reflect a brand building process. Further work is The wired logo in color and black as basic element for print design. dynamic, sporty feel but still be appropriate now underway on applications for the nu- for use in the media and with the business merous required items, from A for Accred- community. Importantly it had to link all itations, through M for Meal Tickets to Y the EAA’s events, including competitions for Yearbook. And, in addition to the cor- and other activities such as the Congress porate applications used by the EAA itself, and Calendar Conference, and make them the picture mark «United Tracks» will ap- recognisable as part of one family. Anoth- pear as a linking element in the logotypes er key deliverable required by the brief was and applications of all the events held un- the creation of a Brand Design Manual, in- der the auspices of the EAA in the future. tended to assist the sport in maintaining consistency in how the logotype and oth- The consistent use of the new visual iden- er graphic elements are used well into the tity over time will lead to increasing recog- future. nition with each event. As people notice and remember and see again, the level will ANR’s proposal for the EAA logotype con- build on itself like a snowball. sisted of two elements, a picture mark and a word mark. The picture mark developed Importantly, the value of the brand «Euro- into what has been baptised «United pean Athletics» will grow and its position Tracks» and depicts three stylised athletic among the leading sports in the countries tracks, which represent the whole sport of of Europe will strengthen. Athletics including technical events. Per- haps the most radical idea to emerge from the process was to drop the word «Associ- ation» from the word mark. This means the Note: the EAA Brand Design Manual will sport, European Athletics, is being pro- shortly be accessible by Member Federa- moted at all times, rather than the govern- tions and LOCs at the new www.european- ing body. athletics.org website. The master logo type in color and black. UPDATE 2|04 Newsletter of the EAA 3 INSIDE «United Tracks» is the base The Swede Martin Lannering, working as designer with ANR.BBDO, created the new EAA logo. In an interview he describes his feelings and the way to the final result. AS A FIRST STEP YOU ANALYZED THE FORMER EAA LOGO. WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION? Lannering: I felt that the former logotype had a nice simplicity and clearness but that it overtime has lost its strength and mod- ern feeling. With EAA being the leader of European athletics my feeling is that the symbol has to express much more strength and professionalism. I also find it beneficial if the logo is not focused on one specific athletic field, but rather includes all the fields of athletics. DID YOU GET ANY ADVISES, OR LIMITA- TIONS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW LOGO / BRAND? IF YES, IN WHICH DIRECTION? Lannering: It was made clear that the task was to create a design system, that could reflect all the events and activities under- taken by EAA. The logo per se was asked to reflect the dynamics of athletics as well as it should be able to function in a corpo- rate/sponsor environment. And with the increasing digitalization of society the logo of course should function well on the screen. THE COMPANY: velopments can be made in order to WHAT IS THE SPECIALTY CONCERNING ANR.BBDO strengthen the final out-put. The fact that THE CREATION OF THE BRAND FOR A Facts and Figures: EAA does not run this kind of projects on SPORTS ORGANIZATION COMPARING 35 employees at a regular basis and that there is a large ANR.BBDO and 80 TO THE SAME PROCEDURE FOR A COM- counting our daugh- number of stakeholders involved, has MERCIAL COMPANY? ter- and sister compa- made the process longer in time than we Lannering: In the creative part I do not feel nies. yearly budget 45 had anticipated. there are many differences. You always million SEK. face the same questions and decisions re- Main areas the com- CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT'S BEHIND THE garding the impression of the logotype.