Staking a bold, new claim, by reclaiming the time-honored heart of the region’s most epic battle.
This was primarily a creative strategy project for me, where writing and storytelling were central to putting our discovery and research phase outputs into practice. The goal was to develop a new name for Concacaf Champions League and rethink the brand fundamentals, in preparation for a redesign of the logo system and refreshed core messaging. Concacaf wanted a a strong, distinctive foundation from which stakeholders and partners could pilot the tournament into the future.
To ground the identity, we developed a brand essence recipe of Achievement + Toughness + Decisiveness. This reflected the reality of a grueling tournament that decides who represents the region at the FIFA Club World Cup. By repositioning the event as a premium, global property, we met Concacaf’s business objectives while delivering the emotional connection and clear wayfinding fans demand in a complex media landscape.
We ran a rigorous naming process, exploring numerous concepts each rooted in its own strategic basis. Every decision was filtered through a seven-point naming criteria to ensure the title was concise, evocative, and ownable across multiple languages. We developed and tested numerous solutions (such as Apex Cup and Club Cup below), each with a strategic basis, and previz to help us imagine the name in the wild. After several days of workshopping with the client in Miami, CONCACAF Champions Cup won the match; a recommendation built on returning to the tournament’s heritage and honoring the trophy itself.
For the identity component, we utilized tools like “Logo Territories” to organize the visual exploration, allowing us to define the direction through conceptual buckets before the design phase began. Drawing on my years of experience with EA Sports FIFA, we navigated the global football landscape to ensure the reimagined Concacaf Champions Cup felt world-class while remaining distinctly rooted in the Concacaf region.
The new name and brand fundamentals help view the evolved Concacaf Champions Cup experience through the lens of our forebears, bringing the spirit of the earliest contests to a new, diverse generation of enthusiasts. While the marketing and funding of international football have changed a lot since 1962, the basic kit and charm of club football endure. I wrote the following little manifesto, which sums it up well:
I think the video below (from the amazing Scholars Film and Wildpigs), captures the heart and soul of that sentiment wonderfully. Be sure to also check out this one, which features Rolling Stones keyboardist Matt Clifford taking viewers through how the Concacaf Champions Cup anthem was composed. These are terrific examples of our brand essence—”Epic Battles for Greatness”—being brought to life by others. I feel like a proud dad!