The Brief
In 2022, the Geelong Cats engaged Ruck to develop a campaign aimed at driving membership growth. In particular, there was a focus on building a connected supporter base and a financially sustainable women’s program. The 2022 season was an opportunity to reposition the AFLW brand in the hearts and minds of members, fans, employees, players, and the community.
Ruck therefore needed to create a fresh AFLW brand that was not only elevated, but also connected in with the AFLM brand with potential to evolve for future seasons.
The Solution
The Ruck team created a memorable, recognisable and inclusive AFLW brand for the 2022 season with the flexibility and sustainability to extend into future seasons. This involved a completely refreshed visual identity, strategic positioning, brand guidelines and copywriting devices, all transferable across marketing channels and match day activations.
Ruck kicked off the process with a thorough research phase to develop brand strategy inputs, presented in a 3i's report along with relevant trends and case studies to inform the strategic positioning. From here, the campaign featured a bold font choice to visually convey the strength and power of the athletes. This was paired with a circular design element that plays on the traditional club ‘Hoops’, used as a background textural element and drawing on indigenous culture. We wanted to take a device that has strong internal currency and externalise it into the visual identity of the brand. The copy driving the campaign speaks to a shift in mindset, where women can and should be recognised as elite athletes—not female athletes.
Ruck also facilitated a photoshoot with the purpose to highlight the players’ athletic ability, focusing on their strength, agility and power—bringing a sense of innovation and contemporary aesthetic the brand hadn’t seen before.
Services
