Even the best sports logo designs can cause controversy. A redesign is almost guaranteed to spark pushback, as we recently saw with the new Newcastle United logo proposals.
But the new Archery World Cup logo might be one of the few that can avoid such a fate. A sharp (last pun I promise) rebrand has completely overhauled the identity of World Archery's competition, with striking colours, dynamic motion design and a new customised typeface.
Devised by the design studio Arecibo, the Archery World Cup rebrand has been rolling out during this year's 20th anniversary competition ahead of the final in Saltillo, Mexico, taking place over 12 and 13 September.
The previous logo design with its target face-inspired tricolour rounded squares looked like a dated corporate identity beside contemporary sporting brands. The branding was also disconnected across its various expressions, and there were no system rules, leading to inconsistent application across each venue. Moreover, World Archery felt that the logo failed to communicate what was at stake in the tournament – namely, the prestige of trophy itself.
With that in mind, Arecibo set out to capture the drama of the competition. The strategy for the rebrand was synthesised in two words: “Can’t Miss”. The idea was to communicate that the archer can’t miss the shot, and the audience can’t miss the show.
"The drama and intrigue is not in the super-human skill of the archers but when a shot is missed," Arecibo's Graham Anderson writes. "So I shifted the organisation’s emphasis for the contest from pure sporting values to the spectator’s experience.
"The key move is introducing more opportunities for narrative and intrigue while still honouring the precision and skill of the sport. Narrative could be pulled from its global stages, characterful athletes, emotional intensity, and sporting excellence. Every stage, every shot, every story matters."
“Can’t Miss” isn’t just a slogan but a filter applied to every decision in the rebrand, Graham says. "Does this show what’s at stake, does it reinforce our values, does it connect this shot to the wider season and our audience to our archers?" These were questions asked of every asset designed.
The logo highlights the importance of the trophy itself – a little like the rationale for the Fifa World Cup 2026 logo, but without resorting to a literal photo of the prize. It's a stylised icon with a 45-degree angle and stepped shape at the end of the arm that are intended to create a dynamic visual device suitable for various applications.
The icon and wordmark separate when needed, and cropped icons turn the mark into a graphic device in its own right.
A customised variable typeface alteration, AWC Baikal, was commissioned from Lausanne based foundry, Newglyph, with weights running from condensed light to extended bold. An angle from the logo is integrated into the typeface for an expressive custom aesthetic that links to the brand's foundation.
As for brand colours, Arecibo went for a dual system. A core palette of blues was chosen for the main identity, while the stadium design system is broader. The brief was to create a system that would be more consistent and easier to use while still having personality.
Arecibo's solution was a modular kit that any host city can build with, including a squared grid template of scalable frames with defined brand and sponsor areas, simple rules of hierarchy, and specified sizes to ensure sponsor logos can be read on camera. Core brand elements can be recoloured but never have to be redrawn, so every stage of the competition can have its own identity while still feeling like part of a whole.
The same philosophy was applied to motion pieces. An After Effects template was built with fixed branding but editable content, making it easier to ensure pieces hit target without the need to have a designer in the room holding the bow.
