Footie fans rejoice, the new logo and identity for the Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 has just been unveiled. Jointly-led by Toronto-based studio Public Address and LA-based agency Works Collective, local women artists from both host countries have been brought in to inject something new into the identity.

As with many sporting events, previous Women’s World Cups have relied on depicting the trophy as its emblem. Public Address and Works Collective have pushed back against tradition by asking the local artists to bring in elements of their heritage and culture, therefore using design to “evoke the FIFA WWC23 as a unifying cultural force”, they explain.

The identity isn’t the first project Works Collective and Public Address have worked on together. Last year they unveiled the LA 2028 Olympics logo, which featured an ever-changing symbol.

For WWC23, the logo is made up of 32 squares which represent the 32 nations that will come together to compete. Arranged in a circular, radial formation, the studios say it’s a shared design element seen across many indigenous Australian and New Zealand cultures. For the tournament, it not only aims to signify the world’s best coming together in Australia and New Zealand, but also reflect the spirit and values of the host countries. 

There is an array of distinct patterns used across the identity. For the Australian-themed pattern Public Address and Works Collective collaborated with contemporary Aboriginal artist Chern’ee Sutton. The symbols used represent the fans, families and supporters who will travel to be a part of the tournament, while the line and circle details are common motifs in Australian art. 

Likewise, for the New Zealand-inspired pattern, the studios worked with textile artist Fiona Collis. Her pattern aims to echo the coming together of people and cultures, with mountains represented graphically in a harmonious composition.

The colour palette throughout the identity takes on Australia and New Zealand’s brightest hues, incorporating both the hosts’ flags and their natural landscapes. To support the bold pops of colour a dynamic, bespoke typeface was created by New Zealand type designer Alistair McCreedy, who took inspiration from the radial motif and the squares that form it.

As part of the new branding, an official launch film has also been created to “celebrate the greatness of women’s football around the world – past, present and future”, according to the studios. The film highlights past legendary players, plus the moments that put the Women’s World Cup on the map and paved the way for a new legion of icons. 

VMLY&R released its UEFA Euro 2024 brand identity earlier this month, which also aimed to celebrate diversity. So it seems that many major sporting tournaments have started using design to remind fans of the importance of coming together as a united front.

publicaddress.studio; wrkscollective.com