Capturing the visceral pulse of India’s sports fandom.
I’ve worked with international audiences in Japan, Mexico, South America, and across Europe, but Sports18 was my first opportunity to work on an Indian property. I led creative strategy, brand identity development, and a robust network packaging design, shaping the suite of channels from the ground up. It was a complex and exhilarating design exercise—a cross-cultural undertaking that had to resonate with a wide, diverse Indian audience and accommodate many languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Bangla, and English.
My team at Troika (including Sahar Majd, Doug Spice, and Reuben Lee) developed the logo system, colorways, and a comprehensive style guide, paired with a detailed broadcast motion package. Working closely with the team in Mumbai, we developed a visual language that covered everything from Cricket and Kabaddi to Football, Tennis, Racing, and Basketball, immediately positioning Sports18 as a major force in Indian broadcasting.
Our competitive audit showed that while incumbent networks had striking IDs, their interior info-graphics were often overshadowed by the branding and difficult to read. Conversely, others felt utilitarian and dated, lacking personality. Across the board, competitors’ promo content was complicated and indistinguishable. We refined the Sports18 identity to its most salient form. By avoiding softer, gauzy elements that disappear on screen, we created a high-energy aesthetic that aligned with Indian sensibilities while ensuring the audience could focus on the navigation and content.
The mission was clear: Become the new, decisive force in Indian sports entertainment; as spirited, energetic, and full of impact as the players and fans themselves. To back this up, our motion theory was built around the physics of sport; inspired directly by athletic action—the snap of a kick, the swing of a bat, and the tip-off—as well as direct connection to the Sports18 logo’s contours, color, and dynamics. These graphic devices were designed to keep the Sports18 brand firmly in mind even during moments where attention was focused elsewhere, ensuring the network’s identity was felt even when the logo wasn’t present on screen.
Nestled in the “18” logotype, though subtle, is both a slanted stroke (/) and an equals (=) symbol. We leverage this theme of being unequaled, and also the concept of sport being the “great equalizer” throughout the package. It is an unspoken, implicit aspect of the identity that acts as an engine, a kicker, a juke, and a switch when needed.
