Athletics Quarterly. Edition 2
Welcome to our Spring 2022 edition of Athletics Quarterly! Athletics Quarterly surfaces ideas and dialogues that embody our values as a creative studio, express our views on business and brand, and provide a window into our thinking and culture. Please enjoy!
Ideas and Dialogues
In Conversation with Teresa Tatlonghari from Nashville SC and Amanda Kicera from Major League Soccer on Brand Passion in Soccer
“There is a lot of excitement here in Nashville for the soccer club! I think the stadium has definitely done a lot to ignite that excitement, but I also think there’s been a lot of work that the club has done over the past couple of years to embed ourselves in the community and with the fans. Our fans are so reflective of our community and now we have this opportunity to bring everybody together.” — Teresa Tatlonghari
In this edition of In Conversation—our series of discussions with colleagues and friends of the studio—we are honored to invite Teresa Tatlonghari, Vice President of Marketing at Nashville Soccer Club and Amanda Kicera, Senior Director of Club Branding at Major League Soccer to chat about brand passion in soccer. Teresa discusses the launch of Nashville SC’s new stadium and the club’s commitment to its fans and community, while Amanda explains how her team at MLS works with clubs to engage with loyal fans through the power of brand, and she shares some exciting news with us about what MLS has planned in the coming year.
Brands at Work
Intelligent Creativity in Motion with Otto for Square
Motion is central to contemporary brand building, but it can be difficult to systematize. We collaborated with the Square team to develop their motion identity system that unites Square around common ideals, rules, and tools—yielding a more open and inspiring brand experience. Using Square’s motion identity system as a foundation, we developed Otto, a bespoke generative motion asset creator.
Otto allows Square’s motion principles and techniques to be accessible and scalable, allowing users to easily output motion assets in a range of formats used across web, marketing, video, social and products. Wherever Square’s brand is expressed in motion, Otto delivers the right assets instantly. Developing Otto is a testament to the power of intelligent creativity at work—strategists, creatives and technologists leveraged the strength of data, technology and human imagination to develop a truly expressive and creative business solution.
Read the article on Square Design
Transforming Modern Business with IBM Consulting
Building real business value today requires the speed to innovate faster, the intelligence to deliver results, and a radical openness to change. In 2021 IBM Global Business Services (GBS) approached us with the challenge of casting off brand baggage and bringing their brand into the next phase as IBM Consulting. Today, IBM Consulting is at the forefront of modern business, working hand in hand with clients to develop solutions that drive impact, innovation and openness, and they needed a brand that could tell that story. Athletics worked with IBM Consulting to develop an identity that reflects its unique superpowers: the company’s deep roots in transformative technologies, open ecosystem thinking and collaborative approach, and an enduring commitment to people – from teams to partners and communities.
Athletics in the News
We won a Webby!
See the full Creative Ecosystems case study on our site and the article in AIGA Eye on Design.
Matt Owens on the Fail. Hard. podcast.
Athletics’ partner Matt Owens sits down with FAIL. HARD. with Will Hall – Sponsored by Adobe, to discuss the future of creative agencies, and the value of creating programs for your life.
Miscellaneous
Athletics Spring Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous is our no-frills round-up of the cultural items inspiring our team. Featuring exhibits, concerts, experiences, reading material, music, and more, we’ve been sharing the media that moves us since 2017.
This abridged edition features picks we hope will bring you some springtime joy and get you outside! Find the full unabridged list with submissions from across the studio.
Dutch former graphic designer Martijn Doolaard documents his journey restoring two 100-year-old stone houses in the Italian Alps, by himself. Using only a drone and an SLR to document the journey, Martijn has created an exceptionally beautiful video series, sure to inspire and awe.
This Spring a few team members have been inspired to plant herbs—basil, mint, cilantro, and rosemary, to name a few—to use in fresh recipes. We highly recommend Ottolenghi’s soba noodles with lime, cardamom and avocado.
Phillip Glass’ Akhnaten at the Met Opera
If you didn’t get your Phil(ip Glass) of Akhnaten in its initial run in 2019, you’re in luck. The visually stunning opera is back, opening May 19th. Remember to wear your tails and bring your birding binos (we know you picked up bird-watching in 2020).
David Byrne Radio Presents: Brazil in the 21st Century
David Byrne’s monthly playlist is always good for a change of pace and a deep dive into a new (to me) corner of music. Carnival might be over but there’s still time to samba!
Until next time…
Thank you for reading this installment of Athletics Quarterly.
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In solidarity,
Team Athletics
For more like this, explore our News section and read the previous edition of Athletics Quarterly