KICKBOXING IRELAND
A bold new vision for one of the world’s leading martial arts federations.
Kickboxing Ireland is the national governing body for the sport of kickboxing across the island of Ireland. AY was appointed to galvanise the organisation and better define and promote its common goals to foster community, to provide a safe space for all, and to elevate the sport. In the year of their 40th anniversary, and coinciding with kickboxing getting officially sanctioned as an Olympic sport our collaboration has birthed a new aspirational brand that heralds the dawn of a thrilling new era for the sport, embodying its vibrant future.
What we did
Sectors
Research and analysis
Stakeholder engagement
Brand strategy
Visual identity
Brand Guidelines
Copywriting
UI/UX Design
Web design
Web development
Art direction
Campaign messaging
Sport
Not for Profit
“To position Kickboxing Ireland as one of the strongest associations in the world within WAKO and within the sports community in Ireland.“
Roy Baker
President, Kickboxing Ireland
An immersive approach
We took a deep dive to get under the skin of kickboxing in Ireland, spending time with members, officials and volunteers to understand what kickboxing really means to the people involved. We worked with the KBI board and key officers in charge of the organisation. Interviews, surveys and engagement with various members, officers and others on the board and beyond was paramount to ensuring a solid grasp of the organisation and its strengths and weaknesses. Our rigorous process uncovered a need to reposition KBI as a modern, vibrant organisation that it is about much more than just '‘fighting’.
With the aim to engage new, younger and more diverse audiences, and reflect what makes the game unique, we set about creating a strategy and visual direction for the brand which expressed the raw energy, community and power of kickboxing. We helped KBI create a brand system born of their history and unites the community behind revolutionary values and a digital first transformation.
A visual identity with energy.
At the core of the brand is a new visual identity we call ‘The Stance’. The logo festures a silhouette of a competitor mid leg kick that symbolises some of the key values of the organisation. The energy, strength, discipline, resilience and competitive nature of kickboxing. This is embodied within the negative space of the logo.
Bringing the KBI Brand to life.
The brand universe now reflects the essence of the KBI mission: the development and promotion of the sport of kickboxing in Ireland.
Vibrant colours and a distinctive new hero typeface have been introduced to create an optimistic and assertive look and feel throughout. All assets are designed with motion principles in mind, and digital channel emphasis. The brand is able to flex from bold and vibrant to premium and elegant. A less liberal use of highlight colours, plus a toned-down graphic device enables corporate materials to work in their relevant settings without diluting the brand.
The display typeface is a modern italicised, geometric sans serif with an intriguing cut. A number of interesting angled letterforms represent the movement and fast-paced nature of the sport and are inspired by the angles found in the Stance. We developed a tone of voice for the brand that is just as punchy as the visuals. Utilising short, snappy, attention-grabbing copy lines that referenced the spectacle of the sport.
From internal tools to advertising, all communication assets have been redesigned in the light of this new identity and visual language. Examples show how the KBI logo is flexibly used across a wide-range of deliverables at different scales and sizes.
Speaking to a digital audience.
With an ambition to be more digitally connected and attract younger audiences through new media, the visual language had to be responsive and adaptable across a variety of digital platforms, including social platforms and digital graphics. The website was redesigned to be mobile first and easily updatable by various stakeholders and be more connected to social platforms with news section and events integration through Eventbrite.
Gear. Merch. Swag.
Whatever you call it, looking the part, helps you feel the part. We worked with the team to develop a range of products tailored for different audiences, ready to distribute and sell. From punch bogs to T-Shirts, medals to water bottles and everything in between.
Join the tribe.
To help launch the new brand we developed a campaign to drive membership. aimed at bolstering membership engagement and acquisition. Through strategic planning and creative execution, we created a campaign to resonate with target audiences, inviting them to join the community and become part of the vibrant kickboxing movement.
“The team at AY really understood how to uncover and bring to the fore all the unique qualities of Kickboxing Ireland. The brand refresh is about more than just a new logo. It’s an opportunity to redefine our vision for the sport and share our values to the wider world as we continue to develop as a modern and inclusive community. The design and tone of voice capture the personality of the organisation.”
Pierce McGeough,
Marketing Officer at Kickboxing Ireland
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