FIFA World Cup 2022 Brand Development
The evolution of the brand design system for the World’s most iconic sporting event
As Lead Creative for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, I was commissioned by the WORKS agency in partnership with FIFA and trusted delivery teams to evolve and implement a global brand system for one of the most ambitious and complex sporting events in recent history.
Over 20 months, I led a multidisciplinary team to develop more than 15,000 branded assets across print, digital, stadium graphics, large-format installations, and digital content. From strategic concept to final production, my role focused on ensuring brand consistency, production accuracy, and high-impact visibility across 20+ large-scale activations.
In the final sprint before the tournament, I was deployed on-site in Doha to collaborate directly with suppliers and FIFA’s internal teams, overseeing last-mile approvals and securing smooth rollout across venues and city-wide environments.
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Services & Skills Highlighted
• Visual Identity Evolution
• Event Branding & Large-Format Design
• Design Systems & Toolkit Creation
• Design Direction & Stakeholder Collaboration
• On-Site Design Management
• Cross-Cultural Team Leadership
Evolving a brand to a flexible and scalable system
We inherited a visual identity and were tasked with evolve it to a fresh new design direction for Game Time, adapting it for real-world scale and usability. My approach focused on transforming the existing toolkit into a modular, user-led design system.
User-centred strategy
I implemented a user-centred strategy to guide how the brand would live across environments. This included audience journey maps tailored to the two key groups: spectators and teams. It shaped how the brand would come to life in Look, wayfinding, venue dressing, city dressing and in-stadium match day fan engagement touchpoints.
Colour strategies
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 brand featured a rich and diverse colour palette. While Burgundy, Qatar’s national colour, anchored the brand identity and welcomed audiences upon arrival, Purple was used strategically across venues to provide cohesion and connect various environments. I helped define colour roles and application principles across all functional areas, from broadcast and VIP to city dressing and team environments.
Graphic strategy and evolution
The FIFA World Cup Brand, at its first cycle was a mosaic system with an extensive library of icons representing the Host Country Qatar, its landmarks, patterns, stadiums, football elements and fans. Another important element was the Kasheeda, an accent of the Arabic language that was incorporated into the Event's brand typography. The Kasheeda was a graphic element that was incorporated into concept words and worked as a frame on the original brand.
I create a new system that integrated the Kasheeda with the tiles making the mosaic more dynamic giving a depth of field to a flat 2D design. I also introduced more words to the Kasheeda Typography treat to include country names, locations and motivational team messaging.
Look Book
To consolidate the visual system and ensure legacy for future FIFA projects, I co-authored a 400+ page Look Book that documented design application across all functional areas. This became a reference blueprint for FIFA, its agencies, and production partners.
Project Impact:
The brand evolution process sought to create an unique and memorable Games experience, making that edition of the event stand out and set its place in history with its own visual signature
• The biggest yet scope for a single a World Cup, producing over 15,000 high-quality branded assets across multiple media and spaces
• Guided multidisciplinary teams in strategy, rollout, and on-site implementation
• Created a sense of novelty to the brand with a new art direction that brought excitement during event time for teams, spectators,, volunteers and visitors.
Curious to learn more about the FIFA World Cup Brand? Check out my other event branding projects:
FIFA World Cup Stadium Dressing
Bringing the identity to life across world-class venues
Bringing the identity to life across world-class venues
FIFA World Cup City Dressing
Transforming urban spaces into fan-first experiences
Transforming urban spaces into fan-first experiences
FIFA World Cup Functional Areas
Consistent branding across stadium, media, Hospitality and team operations.
Consistent branding across stadium, media, Hospitality and team operations.
FIFA World Cup Final Draw Event
The first hint of the new brand with premium look.
The first hint of the new brand with premium look.
Looking to deliver high-impact brand systems for sport, culture or city events?
Let’s collaborate to turn your brand into an memorable experience from concept to final delivery.
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