How to create a visual identity that captivates fans and sponsors

You will read about:

• What is visual identity – and why is it important?
• What elements make up a club's visual identity?
• What are the current trends?
• How do we create visual identities at PUX?
• When is it time for rebranding?

What is visual identity – and why is it important? 

Visual identity is a set of elements that creates a cohesive and easily recognizable image of a brand – from logos, colors, and typography to jerseys, merchandise, printed materials, and graphics on social media or website design. It establishes the first – and often the most important – connection between a sports club and its surroundings.

A good visual style is not just about how the brand “looks”. When set up correctly, it helps tell the club's story, strengthens trust among fans and partners, supports cohesion within the team, and last but not least, can kickstart sales – because who wouldn’t want merchandise with a new logo and in new colors?

In short, visual identity is what makes a club unique – and therefore memorable.

What does the visual identity of the club consist of? 

A unified visual style of a sports club consists of several elements. Together, we will look at the most important ones:

a) Logo and logo manual 

The logo is the cornerstone of every sports club. It often carries certain symbolism – it is associated with a specific city or region from which the club originates. It may also depict an animal that the team identifies with, or a piece of equipment typical for the sport.

Changing it can revitalize the brand and significantly influence the perception of the club and its economic results. However, not only die-hard fans are sensitive to rebranding – they often perceive it as a betrayal of traditions. So how do you create a visual identity that stands the test of time? It is important to plan carefully (we will look at this in the section How we create at PUX) and to communicate the new visual adequately with the public.

However, a new logo usually does not come about on its own. It is naturally followed by a so-called logo manual – a set of rules that define how to use the new visual identity. It discusses typography, colors, and (un)approved variations of the logo, for example. Thanks to the logo manual, there is no risk of not knowing how to work with the new logo and visual.

b) Jerseys and Sports Equipment

A jersey is one of the most distinctive elements of club identity. Colors, cut, and logo placement play a role in how the team will appear on the field or in the stands. Tip? It's not just the players who are visible. When designing clothing, consider the coaching staff as well within the unified visual style – you can refine items like tracksuits or jackets.

c) Merchandise for fans

With the new logo comes the time to unleash creativity. Merch design should connect with the club's visual identity – however, for fans to fully utilize it, the final design should be wearable/useful in everyday life. Therefore, the saying often applies: "less is more".

d) Printed Materials

Posters, leaflets, match programs, season tickets and tickets, banners, directional signs at the stadium, roll-ups… Sports clubs produce a huge amount of printed materials, which can easily enhance brand perception – just dress all printed materials in a unified visual identity. And you are one step closer to a strong brand.

e) Graphics for Social Media and Web

A large part of sports teams' communication now takes place in the online environment. Have you managed to unify printed materials? Great. Now start aligning graphics on social media and web banners. It helps to have a designer create simple templates for posts or reels, into which you can always insert current information – for example, an invitation to a match or the result of a game.

f) (Re)design of the website

Do you have an old website that loads slowly and users struggle to find information? Creating a visual identity is the perfect opportunity to also prepare a new website. Let's set aside functionality for now (if you're interested in what our websites can do, check out references) and focus purely on design. The website is often the first place where fans, partners, and media form an impression of the club – it should therefore reflect a cohesive visual identity (logo, colors, typography) and the overall brand communication. When a website functions well (and looks good too!), it increases the brand's credibility – and thus the attractiveness of the entire club in the eyes of the public and sponsors. And that's what we all want, right?

What are the current trends?

What should you focus on when creating a new logo for a sports club in 2025? Here are the current trends:

a) Bold typography

Logos are increasingly using bold fonts, which give the brand a unique character and differentiate it from the competition. This applies not only to sports but across industries. Sports clubs, in particular, can highlight the team's character through distinctive typography and thus attract the attention of fans.

b) Minimalism

Today's era demands that a logo be universally applicable – it must work well in online environments as well as on physical materials. However, it often happens that clients want to include everything in the logo – local landmarks, the year the club was founded, distinctive typography... until it becomes a bit too much, making the logo not only difficult to use but also hard to remember. Tip? If you want the logo to be truly functional, have a monochrome version prepared as well.

c) Return to Retro Elements

Many clubs are returning to historical elements of their brands as part of rebranding. The reference to traditions aims to achieve one goal – to strengthen belonging (within the team and with fans).

d) Local Symbols

Does your club have any natural or cultural landmark in its vicinity? You will likely want to incorporate it into your logo. Local elements are still trendy – and they communicate the relationship of the sports team to the history, culture or geography of the region.

How do we create visual identities at PUX? 

You already know what a visual identity entails – now the question remains, who will implement it? At PUX, we have extensive experience with sports branding. It is no coincidence that we have primarily worked for floorball clubs – Torpedo Havířov and Bulldogs Brno – as we have a floorball veteran, Jirka Juhaňák, leading PUX, and our business team has over 20 years of experience on the field. We know the sports environment perfectly – and we are eager to dive into logo designs for football and hockey clubs, volleyball, basketball, rugby, or futsal teams, as well as handball, baseball, softball, and many other sports.

a) What does the creation process look like?

We have divided the project into several phases:

Phase 1 – Initial Study and Workshop

At the beginning, we need to get to know you. During the introductory (ideally in-person) workshop, we will determine the current state, your expectations, scope of collaboration, and the reasons why you are considering a new identity. We will review all existing outputs of your club across channels (what logo you have, whether there is a logo manual, what printed and online materials you use). And for inspiration, we will look at outputs from not only your competitors – so we know what you like and what you don’t.

Phase 2 – Designing the New Visual Identity

We already know what you like and what you need. We can therefore begin the design process. We start with . The selected style is then visualized using a moodboard. Once we finalize and approve the logo design, we will create a complete logo manual for it.