PROJECT SUMMARY

FALL 2024 - DETROIT SPORTS

IN THIS 6-WEEK CAMPAIGN, WE WERE EACH ASSIGNED A DETROIT SPORTS TEAM, AND TASKED TO CREATE AN IDENTITY INSPIRED BY THE TEAM’S HISTORY, IDEOLOGY, AND IMPACT.

THANK YOU TO MY TEAM MEMBERS <3
LIZZY STAPLETON, BRANDI WITEK, JEANNE LEPLEY-SAVOYE

WINNERS OF 2025 SILVER ADDY AWARD FOR THIS CAMPAIGN!

FIRST, WE RESEARCHED THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY AND KEY STORYLINES, EXPLORING LEAGUE SURVEYS TO UNDERSTAND TEAM DYNAMICS AND PLAYER PERSPECTIVES. 

THEN, WE ANALYZED AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHICS, FINANCIAL TRENDS, AND EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS TO GAUGE THE TEAM'S IMPACT AND EVOLUTION. WE CONCLUDED WITH AN INTERNAL BRAND AUDIT AND CASE STUDIES OF BEST PRACTICES, DOCUMENTING VISUAL IDENTITY, CULTURAL INFLUENCES, AND STRATEGY USED TO PROMOTE THE TEAM.

THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH DETROIT FC’S NORTHERN GUARD MAY BE UNAWARE OF THEIR OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ ACTIVISM. THE LOUD, PROUD, IN-YOUR-FACE ENERGY COMBINED WITH A COMMUNITY-FIRST, GRASSROOTS SET OF VALUES ALLOWS THEIR FANS TO BE EXPRESSIVE AND UNRESTRICTED IN THEIR SUPPORT OF A COMMON GOAL: DETROIT SOCCER AND THE PRIDE OF THE COMMUNITY BEHIND IT.

OUR TARGET FOR OUR SOCIAL CAMPAIGN IS LGBTQ HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (14-18) OF HAMTRAMCK WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SPORTS FAN CULTURE, BUT FEEL IT IS INACCESSIBLE.

ONCE WE UNDERSTOOD OUR AUDIENCE, WE BEGAN TO BRAINSTORM HOW TO COMMUNICATE THE ENERGY AND INCLUSIVITY OF THE CLUB TO THEM BOTH VISUALLY AND VERBALLY. 

WE CREATED MOODBOARDS, PHRASES, AND BUZZWORDS WE COULD USE TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR TEEN AUDIENCE THAT DETROIT SOCCER IS ANYTHING BUT WHAT THEY EXPECT.

WE BEGAN TO FORM A MORE COHESIVE VISUAL IDEA OF THE STORY OF OUR CLUB’S NORTHERN GUARD FROM THE PASSIONATE, VIBRANT COLORS OF SMOKE BOMBS, FLAGS, AND BANNERS FLOWN DURING EACH GAME, COMBINED WITH THE RED BRICKS, EXPOSED COPPER, AND GOLDEN LIGHTS OF HAMTRAMCK AND KEYWORTH STADIUM.

EACH COLOR HAS A SIGNIFIGANCE, AND TOGETHER THEY CAN FORM SEVERAL PRIDE FLAGS.

THE COLORS REPRESENT THE TEAM, PRIDE, AND CITIES OF DETROIT AND HAMTRAMCK, BUT WHEN IN CAME TO IMAGES AND SOURCING, IT FELT RIGHT TO PUT THE HEART OF DETROIT FC AT THE FRONT AND CENTER OF OUR CAMPAIGN: THE AUTHENTIC, PROUD PHOTOS OF THE FANS FOUND ON THE NORTHERN GUARD SUPPORTERS’ FACEBOOK PAGE. 

WE FOUND THROUGH OUR RESEARCH THAT THE GRASSROOTS AND COMMUNITY-FIRST VALUES OF THE CLUB ARE WHAT OUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

IT WAS THEN TIME TO GET INTO THE MAKING PROCESS, TRYING NEW THINGS AND SEEING WHAT WORKED, AND WHAT DIDN’T. WE BEGAN STYLE FRAMES, ANIMATICS, AND MANY ITERATIONS.

THE TEXTURES AND FANS OF DETROIT ARE DISPLAYED AUTHENTICALLY AS THEY ACT DURING GAMES, AND HIGHLIGHTED BY THE VIBRANT COLORS OF THE TEAM’S RAINBOW SMOKE AND FLAGS, UNIFYING THEM UNDER THE CAUSE OF DETROIT SOCCER AND HAMTRAMCK PRIDE.

WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE CONCLUSION THAT OUR BRAND WOULD FOCUS ON IMAGE AND COLOR TO TELL ITS STORY, AS THOSE ELEMENTS HAVE THE STRONGEST FOOTHOLD IN OUR NARRATIVE AND ALLOW THE “TRUE COLORS” TO SHOW JUST WHAT THE CLUB’S REALLY ABOUT: THE FANS, PLAYERS, AND STAFF COMING TOGETHER FOR THE LOVE OF DETROIT AND HAMTRAMCK.

WE ALSO INTRODUCED THE FIELD GRID VECTOR TO TIE DOWN ALL OF OUR ELEMENTS TO A COHESIVE STRUCTURE CLOSE TO OUR NARRATIVE AND SPORT IDEOLOGY, AS WELL AS OUR TYPEFACE ZUUME EDGE INSPIRED BY THE SOCCER BALL PATTERN, PIPES, AND THE GRID SYSTEM.

SUPERGRAPHICS PROCESS

MOTION DRAFTS AND SEVERAL ROUGHCUTS LATER, OUR BRAND’S STORY WAS GROWING STRONGER AND MORE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED, USING THE SHARP, PUNCHY MOVEMENTS OF THE FIELD GRID WITH GEOMOETRIC, SOCCER-ESQUE TYPOGRAPHY, WORKING TOGETHER AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE NORTHERN GUARD’S CHEERING ON THEIR TEAM FROM THEIR VERY OWN YOUTUBE CHANNEL‘S EXSTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION FOOTAGE.

TO DISPLAY THE CLUB’S MODERN APPROACH TO OUR DEMOGRAPHIC OF HIGH SCHOOL-AGED FANS, OUR MOTION PIECES ARE VERTICAL, SHORT VIDEOS YOU’D SEE ON PLATFORMS ON TIKTOK OR YOUTUBE.

FOOTAGE / AUDIO SOURCING

THE CLUB MLS WISHES IT COULD HAVE | DETROIT CITY FC - BY COPA90

MAJORITY OF FAN FOOTAGE IS FOUND HERE; IN-DEPTH BREAKDOWN OF DETROIT CITY FC THAT INCLUDES SEVERAL FIRST-HAND TESTIMONIALS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF OWNERSHIP, FANS, AND PLAYERS ABOUT THE FAN CULTURE AND PRIDE.

ADDITIONAL AUDIO | DCFC CHANTS - BY NGS DETROIT

FILLING IN ADDITIONAL GAPS WITH FITTING CHANTS THAT SUIT OUR AUDIENCE’S KIND OF ATTITUDE.

ROUGHCUTS AND DRAFTS OF MOTION - SERIES V1-V3

THIS MOTION PIECE REQUIRED LOTS OF TIME-CONSUMING KEYFRAMES AND GOING BACK TO MAKE A BUNCH OF SMALL TWEAKS. SEE THE PROGRESSION OVER TIME AS I GET CLOSER TO SHAPING THE IDEA OF THE VIDEO.

WHAT DID I LEARN DURING THIS JOURNEY?

I LEARNED THAT WORKING IN GROUPS IS AWESOME FOR GETTING THINGS DONE, AS LONG AS YOU’RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. 

OUR SYSTEM WOULDN’T BE COHESIVE WITHOUT US CHECKING IN ON EACHOTHER AND FOLLOWING OUR BRAND GUIDELINES, AND DEBATING THEN AGREEING ON CREATIVE DECISIONS AS A GROUP WHEN THE TIME CAME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY TEAM MEMBERS WHO MADE THIS AWESOME CAMPAIGN POSSIBLE!