Perth 2011
ISAF World Sailing Championships

Client Perth 2011
Industry Events + Tourism

The principal qualification event for the world's best sailors competing for entry into the sailing disciplines in the Olympics. Over 1,500 sailors, thousands more visitors and more than 1,000 boats representing 80 nations were expected to attend the two-week event in Perth, leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

We were commissioned by veteran sailor and member of the historic Australia II America's Cup winner team, John Longley, to design a strong brand that would have the dual purpose of raising awareness of the event and elevating the appeal of sailing as a sport. A brand that would be striking and immediately recognisable on TV, at the smallest scale, from great distances, on the vessels themselves and, importantly, desirable on merchandise. And we had to do it with an event name with 33 letters in it. Challenge, much?

The solution called for simplicity and so we captured the energy and spirit of the event with a single colour triangle, representing a sail to work effectively on all applications and at all sizes. The fresh cyan blue and white combination conveyed the endless blue skies and seas of the event's location, Fremantle. Merchandise designs further exploited the brandmark's shape with a range of bold, contemporary designs to appeal to a broad market. Fremantle's infamous winds, colloquially known as the 'Fremantle Doctor' inspired memorable slogans to add a little more Aussie-ness to the event.

The brand was very well received, attracting great participation and visitor activity, and wasapplied to a vast range of applications. An effective, memorable and successful event.

Four times the size of the 1987 America’s Cup defence held in the port city of Fremantle, Perth 2011’s goal was to make their 'cyan blue triangle' synonymous with the lead up events prior to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. A goal successfully achieved!

A sub-brand for the event's innovative 'Emerging Nations Programme' was also created, tying in neatly with the concept of emergence. The initiative was designed to assist developing sailing nations' chances of earning a place in the Perth 2011 Championships and 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Scope

Branding
Print
Signage
Promotion
Merchandise

Objectives met