GRIT
AND
GLORY
Welcome to Wales, where football is more than just a game.
A land built on pride, resilience and determination, Wales is a modern nation with an ancient heart. Here, football is so much more than just a game.
Our brief was to capture and celebrate the true spirit of Wales with a powerful new global brand visual identity: to create a symbol of pride that inspired players and fans at every tier of Welsh football, from grassroots to senior level.
Breathing new fire into Welsh football meant pivoting 180°. We needed to create a philosophy-driven Sensory Brand World, asset-led brand visual identity and flexible design-architecture system across a complex governance structure.
Inspired by Welsh tenacity and the Football Association of Wales’ positioning as a resource for fans, ‘built on Welsh spirit’ became our core creative idea. Respecting Wales’ rich heritage and strong community values while embracing a more progressive outlook, this idea became the new foundation for the brand.
BUILT ON HISTORY
Football Association of Wales underpins all levels of football in Wales, and the Dragon needed to embody that; taking inspiration from previous iterations, we handcrafted something sufficiently simple and grounded.
As a brandmark the Dragon is simple and iconic; as a badge it’s detailed and beautifully crafted. Both stand proud as icons of strength that embrace the traditions of the past while looking ahead to the future.
BUILT ON CRAFT & INDUSTRY
‘Welsh spirit’ is a mix of traditional and modern styles. Designed specifically with chiselled, firm foundations, it celebrates the traditional art of Welsh slate carving, as well as the landscape from which the slate is cut.
BUILT ON SOLID FOUNDATIONS
To represent growth and support from the ground up, we developed a modular design architecture system based on building horizontal rows. Anchoring everything is our Dragon: an unshakeable bedrock.
BUILT ON MEANING
From the hills of Glamorgan to the valley of the Rhondda, our brand colours are grounded in the Welsh landscape. The Glamorgan Green part of the creative palette covers governance communications, and the Dragon Red covers national squads and supporters’ groups.