I This is Sport™
Speculative vision of an imaginary League
Sport is a colossal industry
Over the past decades, successful sport teams seek enhancing their market visibility and financial growth. According to a report by PwC, the global sports sponsorship market was valued at approximately $44 billion (2019) and their growth constantly rising. The introduction of brands has developed sports in both negative and positive directions, by increasing the quality of the sport and technological advancement, but also creating a higher margin between teams due to their financial ability. In addition, the influx of sponsorship, money and branding impacted athletes personas and public image. However, COVID-19 acted as a breaking point for financial gain in football. Many established teams in Europe reported a huge income loss, some reaching around £774m in loss, which created a flash of doubt inside owner's minds, dreaming of concept which generates them money without fear of loss. The European Super League, a concept which was hated by the public, but loved by the owners and the idea of "saving football" was their motivation - yet the suits ended up executing its death instead.
NOVARX – Real Experience
A chip that powers both the players and the league. This innovation pushes each athlete’s mastery to the maximum, enabling a unique playstyle based on the strongest aspect of their game. The concept draws inspiration from the evolution of technology in sports, as well as gaming and cyberpunk-style skill augmentations.
This chip serves as the league’s central technological breakthrough, providing a narrative reason why players are enhanced cyborgs.
The typographic treatment—white fill with an outlined structure—breaks the anatomy of the letters, adding to the high-tech aesthetic of the magazine. Following a geometric design approach for this typeface reinforces a modern, precise, and futuristic feel, perfectly reflecting the values of the technology it represents.
I NOVARX
I MEET THE TEAMS
The design process for the team emblems followed a simple formula: stylish, bold, and eye-catching. It reflected the same narrative as the rest of the design decisions—embracing the Americanization of sport, inspired by the NBA and NFL. Each emblem was carefully crafted by drawing from its geographical neighbours, blending elements from both teams into a single “super team.” This approach extended to the colour schemes as well, producing harmonious designs with striking contrasts.
- LONDON CAVALRY
- TURIN BULLS
- MANCHESTER VANGUARDS
- PARIS SAINTS
- MUNICH LIONS
- MADRID ROYALS
- MILAN SERPENTS
- BARCELONA DRAGONS
Following the same naming formula used in the NBA and NFL—City Name + Representative Word—each team’s name was created to reflect both its location and its character.
The team kits are deliberately extravagant, stylish, and covered with sponsor logos, symbolizing the dominance of money in the sport. To maintain consistency, sponsors were selected based on the geographical and national identity of each team. The designs draw inspiration from futurism, exploring how kits can be pushed further in style to create a unique and distinctive look for the ESL.
I ESL
“This is Sport TM” explores a near-reality from 2020—the proposed introduction of the European Super League. The league aimed to create a high-tier competition for the world’s top clubs, delivering high-level fixtures to fans every week. However, behind this ambition lay a more sinister purpose: the significant financial gain for participating clubs, along with the league gaining revenue from sponsorship deals and streaming platforms. Although the idea got cancelled, it opened the door for similar competitions to emerge in the future. This project takes the monetisation and technological evolution in sport to an extreme, a dystopian vision of football’s future, through speculative imagery and a fictional visual identity for an imagined Super League
