jovoto / Aim, shoot, score: Your 2024 bid logo! / Deutscher Fußball-Bund / Briefing

Design an inspiring logo for Germany’s bid to become host of the European Football Championship 2024.

Background

International sporting events unleash a powerful social energy. They contribute to the creation of a collective identity, bring people together, and create a cause for shared celebration – regardless of nationality, culture, or religion. Many of us will still remember images, moments, and emotions from the "Sommermärchen" (fairytale summer) of the FIFA 2006 World Cup hosted by Germany. And we don’t just mean the sporting highlights, but the unique collective euphoria – of the huge fan parties that took place everywhere from the stadiums to streets and the nation’s living rooms. Everyone was a part of this unique event with the motto "A time to make friends." We want to host the UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany and once again create a sense of togetherness and joy in the heart of Europe and celebrate a reunion with (football) friends from all over the world.

Internationale Sportevents entfalten eine immense gesellschaftliche Kraft. Sie stiften eine kollektive Identität, bringen Menschen zusammen und schaffen einen Anlass zum gemeinsamen Feiern – unabhängig von Nationalität, Kultur oder Religion. Viele von uns werden noch Bilder, Momente und Emotionen des „Sommermärchens“ zur FIFA-Weltmeisterschaft 2006 in Erinnerung haben. Damit meinen wir nicht nur die sportlichen Highlights. Wir denken an die einzigartige kollektive Euphorie – von den großen Fan-Festen über die Stadien bis in die Wohnzimmer der Nation. Unter dem Motto „Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden“ wurde jeder zum Teil dieser einmaligen Sache. Um erneut im Herzen von Europa einen Anlass für Gemeinschaft und Freude zu schaffen, möchten wir die UEFA EURO 2024 als Gastgeber in Deutschland austragen und ein Wiedersehen mit (Fußball-)Freunden aus aller Welt feiern.

Weitere Details in deutscher Sprache gibt es hier.

Goal

Now we want to apply to bring the UEFA EURO 2024 to Germany. To do so, we want to rekindle the enthusiasm for a European football championship in Germany and to convey this in our communication. This is why we need a visual brand identity for the application to become a host country. It will be featured on the application documents and all communication right up until the decision is made about where the UEFA EURO 2024 will be held.

Task

Specifically, we’re looking for a logo that will become the centerpiece of our communication during the application phase.

Our motto is: "We want to get Germany excited for the UEFA EURO 2024. And all of Europe for Germany." For us, this means the UEFA EURO 2024 should be a "tournament for everyone." A place for unity without borders, and a time full of positive emotions. For the people of Germany, but also for all European football fans taking part in this festival of football.

This is why we’re looking for a visual logo that conveys the following messages:

Community: Because a European football championship brings together 24 nations and millions of Europeans.
Euphoria: Because the anticipation before a big festival is huge – and the enthusiasm during the event even bigger.

We are open to all logo designs that meet the requirements specified below. There are no visual elements or CI guidelines to consider. The logo for the German application for the UEFA EURO 2024 should be made entirely by you. It will be used throughout the entire, hopefully successful, application phase (incl. communication, commercials, and merchandise). After the application phase, the logo will be replaced by the official UEFA tournament logo with the UEFA EURO 2024 word and figurative mark.

It is important to us that this logo not only comes from the community, but is also endorsed by the broader public. This is why the best 25 designs from the initial voting phase will be presented to a professional jury. They will then select five candidates whose work will be put to the public vote throughout Germany. The winning logo will therefore be chosen by football fans.

Tonality

Engaging – we want to demonstrate our excitement and inspire others
Professional – we do organization, but not bureaucracy
Open – we are a friendly host to all
Confident – we know what we’re good at, but we’re never arrogant

Target group

"German football": The general public and anyone who loves football
All football fans across Europe

Guidelines, regulations, comments

Mandatory requirements

The bid logo (figurative mark) should contain the following:

Reference to football and the European Championship
Reference to Germany as a friendly, cosmopolitan host

The bid logo (figurative mark) can contain the following text:

"EURO"
"2024"
"GERMANY"

Bid logo designs will be excluded from the competition which:

Include the "UEFA" word/figurative mark
Violate ethical and moral principles
Do not conform to the values of UEFA (fair play and respect)

Original work / Use of (image) material:

To ensure that the client can consider your design for public voting, submit designs that are your original work. This means that no third-party materials should be incorporated into your design (i.e. stock material, Creative Commons material, etc.). You should own the full and exclusive rights of use, and if licensed, the rights can be transferred to the client.

Inspiration material is legitimate as long as it is just that – for inspiration. This means that slight changes to the original - or retracing stock material with your own vectors - does not count as original work. If you are unsure, ask yourself, "If the creator of the source saw it - would he or she immediately recognize their work, and would he or she be able to take legal steps?” If the answer is, "Yes," then you shouldn’t use it.

Read all about original work and how to use inspiration material in order to create original work here (“Third Party Material 101”) and in this blogpost.

For more visit our jovoto Support Center.

Required file format

Please deliver a black-and-white version of your logo on a neutral white background and a color version (4C) of your design on a white background.
If you are among the 25 winners, you will be required to provide an open-layered file (preferably in an EPS and PSD format).

Timing & awards

1. Submission & rating-only phase:

HEADS UP: This is a very short project! The submission phase is less than two weeks and ends on September 4th, 5:00 PM (Berlin time) -> Please keep this timeline in mind when developing and tweaking your designs!
A six-day rating-only period will follow directly afterwards, which ends on September 10th, 23:59 PM (Berlin time).
The TOP 20 designs from the community voting plus an additional 5 designs picked by the client (Client's Shortlist) will go into an expert round.
These 25 creatives will receive €200 each plus football perks worth about €100*!

2. Expert voting phase:

From the TOP 25, an expert round chosen by the client will then select their favorite 5 logo submissions (Jury's Favorites).
These 5 creatives will receive an additional €800 each plus football perks worth about €200*!

3. Public voting phase:

The 5 designs chosen by the jury will move on to the public voting, which will be held by the client (on an external platform).
The winner of the public voting will receive a total of €5,000 (Client’s Choice (incl. license fee) / DFB Award) plus football perks worth about €2,000*!

* The specifications and handling of all perks will be directly managed by the client.

Legal Overview

Here is a brief overview of what is particularly important to be aware of:

1. When entering an idea for a project, jovoto as well as the client may display, share, and print it for evaluation or presentational purposes.

2. There is a three-month exclusivity period:

In which you may publish and share your idea on other websites or social media and ensure it is clearly labelled as a submission created on jovoto.
In which you ensure that the client is able to exclusively license your design.
After which you may offer your submission to others and publicly display it (without the client's logo).

3. Please ensure that you have noted any and all third party material you used - including the source where it can be found.

4. When uploading an idea, you agree to jovoto's general terms of use as well as the specific project terms (see under the brief).

5. The project terms clarify rights for your upload as well as the details that go into effect if and when you are informed that the client wishes to license your design.

6. Please carefully check and review your submission and the attachments before uploading them - they can only be deleted within the first 24 hours.

7. This is a project with further provisions. Please check out the project terms, paragraph 6.

8. There is no legal claim to the actual usage of the winning logo for the German application to the UEFA EURO 2024. We ask for your understanding that the client has to reserve the right to consider other solutions.

9. Legal recourse is excluded.

Download material

Click on the following links to download working material and additional information related to the project.

Project terms

For this project, special project terms apply.

Halftime Feedback

Dear Creatives of the World,

We are half through the project. How exciting! We have just talked to the client (DFB, Deutscher Fußball Bund = German Soccer Federation) and they were really impressed by the diversity, creativity and passion for football you all showed. Bravo!

Looking at your designs and counting the remaining days (5 days left!), here is what the client advises you to do and not do, to help you score a winning logo:

1. DO NOT use any reference to UEFA: no UEFA logo, name, cup or other symbols in your design!

This is stated in the briefing and we want to repeat and clarify this here.

The logo which you are creating is the logo for Germany’s bid to host the tournament in 2024 – not the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament logo. This means it should reflect the values of Germany as a potential hosting nation – and not the values of the tournament itself (i.e. “winning the cup”).

You are not allowed to incorporate any UEFA brand symbols in your logo. First and foremost the winner trophy!

If you already have a trophy that resembles the actual UEFA EURO cup (or any other cup!) in your current logo, please remove it otherwise your logo cannot be considered for the selected 25 and hence, for the final public voting.

2. EXCEPT... like this:

The only place that “UEFA” (name/text, not logo!) can appear in your logo is in combination with “GERMANY CANDIDATE FOR”. Very important: “GERMANY CANDIDATE FOR” has to be visually more dominant than the “UEFA EURO 2024”!

If you’ve already submitted designs, ideally you update them according to this new design rule. If not, that’s ok. However, if you are now submitting a new design, please use this new rule.

3. The eagle is widely associated with the German national team – best is to avoid using it.

While it would make sense for you to use the eagle from the German flag to communicate “Germany” in your logo, using the eagle is problematic for two reasons.

First, the eagle is actually part of the emblem of the German national team, and hence your logo with the eagle could be mistaken to stage the German national team. Which is the exact opposite of what the logo wants to support: community in football across European nations.

And second, the eagle is a national symbol - so, a very emotionally laden element, which if chosen to be incorporated, it needs to be in a very creative and suiting way. Hence, we recommend to better make your life easier and avoid using it.

4. Football player silhouettes and imagery – avoid using them, unless you can create really unique ones!

Many of you have included dynamic and athletic football player images, sleek winding, sporty figures. While these are of course meaningful and inspirational elements, the client feels that they all look quite familiar, as this has been done a lot in the past. ;) If player figures play a role in your logo, can you come up with silhouettes and images that feel fresh, unique and different?

5. Does your design have a story?

Many of your logos look pretty cool, but it’s still unclear what exactly they’re expressing or aiming at.

We are here to help you clarify that. Consider the use of star symbols for instance. What do the stars stand for when you use them? If you were to use 24 stars to portray the 24 participating nations of the Euro 2024 that would be understandable and acceptable.

If you used 4 stars to convey the amount World Cup titles Germany has won – that would be unfitting because it’s not the World Cup and it’s also too competitive and shows too much pride. If you use stars because they look nice and serve no other purpose – give them a clear purpose or find a different inspiring form suited to tackle the task of this project.

In any case it is super important to capture the client’s imagination by a) creating a great design but b) also explaining your design choices! This is why filling out the questions in the idea upload form is very important to the client.

6. And don’t forget:

Your logo should express passion, excitement, enthusiasm and a sense of unity and community. It’s not about the glory of competing and winning. Germany wants to present itself as a football loving nation in the heart of Europe. A country that is honored and thrilled to be entrusted with the responsibility of hosting a fantastic football celebration that is dear to many Germans – and many, many more Europeans!

Don’t always play it safe. Can you develop a football-themed logo that pushes traditional boundaries, a logo that dares to be different? Check out what has been done and used in the past and try to take a step further and be truly unique!

Keep it simple and show us your clear design line around:

Community: Because a European football championship brings together 24 nations and millions of Europeans.
Euphoria: Because the anticipation before a big football festival is huge – and the enthusiasm during the event even bigger.

Thank you! You are the best!

Diana

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