Context
A first-ever Middle-Eastern World Cup
In 2022, Qatar will host the first FIFA World Cup to take place in the Middle East. A culture known by its hospitality will welcome the entire world for the most celebrated football event of all.
In 2022, Qatar will host the first FIFA World Cup to take place in the Middle East. A culture known by its hospitality will welcome the entire world for the most celebrated football event of all.
2022 is already historical. This is the first time a World Cup is hosted by an Arab country. This means more than just a new address for the most cherished sports tournament in the world. Football brings hope, positive change, inclusiveness, and much more to all places. It changes things forward. Bridging cultures, ways of life, and beliefs, surpassing all kinds of misconceptions. It’s just a ball, yet with an unparallel power of transformation.
Qatar welcomes the world and the world gets to meet one of its most ancient cultures. Old and new crafts, tastes, smells, experiences, landscapes - all these as opportunities for dialogue and discovery. Also representing 21 other Arab countries, Qatar is a proud host of this global celebration of sports and culture.
Developed in close collaboration with FIFA and the Local Organizing Committee in Qatar (Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy), the brand of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ celebrates a welcoming culture and how it will shape the experience of the FIFA World Cup™.
For us, we can say that is was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure of nearly 3 years. And counting.
Brand strategy, Arabic lessons, 3D design, 2D design, motion design, Arabic and Latin typography workshops, music and sound design, field trips, Islamic art, interviews, funny selfies at Souq Waqif. It had it all.
The first full 3D emblem of a FIFA World Cup. An infinite loop of culture and football, inspired by Arab garments, the undulations of desert dunes, and the shape of the Official Trophy.
As it revolves, one can see a perfect circle, reminding the shape of both the football and the planetary scale of its impact.
It also reflects the number (8) of the stadia that will welcome the world in 2022 and the infinity symbol, given the human connections that will endure long past the event.
The graphic universe for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ brand is a unique system. Inspired by the ancient Arab technique that produced the well-known geometric tiles, this graphic universe presents a plethora of engaging content, incorporating football, Qatari landmarks, and cultural elements.
Within a simple, square-based grid, these different elements can be arranged in infinite compositions, interacting with text and imagery.
An extensive family of pictograms was also developed to support more functional communication needs, such as Signage and Wayfinding.
The animation of the official emblem portrays desert dunes and the fabric texture of the Shawl, a head garment used throughout the Middle East and Asia, referring to the tournament’s unique date, from November to December.
The revolving movement of the emblem underlines its singular 3D proprieties. The stretching of the “Kasheeda” is the final touch as it unfolds the final visual identity for the most anticipated single sports event of the world.
A comprehensive workshop took place to kickstart this fundamental project, as it would be key to define the brand identity and its legacy. Hundreds of exercises and several rounds of adjustments were necessary to create Qatar2022™, the Official Typeface for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Typography experts Dino Santos, Rui Abreu, and Hussein Alazaat played essential roles throughout this stage of the project.
Arabic calligraphy lent a singular flow and personality, with the Kasheeda element - a linear extension of specific Arabic letters - assuming itself as a striking brand identity element.
The Latin and Arabic versions were developed simultaneously
in order to create synergy between scripts.
The result is a new, contemporary font, inspired by the region, fusing tradition with modernity.
