The founding eight leading European teams prompted our big brand idea of the eight-star ball logo. Although the League has since expanded, this powerful emblem still holds strong more than fifteen years later. Originally in black and white for maximum stand-out and to avoid clashes with team and sponsor colours, the star ball formed the basis of a revolutionary new and flexible corporate identity for football. Early success brought rapid development into an all-round sports brand experience, including stadium dressing, ticketing, press packs and award trophies and ground-staff kit, as well as the ball itself. Ground-breaking centre circle dressing created the first football brand theatre and Champions League’s high visibility made a massive contribution to the sport’s televisual potential, drawing audiences of 3.5 billion within its first four years and attracting TV rights of £1.42 billion within its first decade.

UEFA Champions League