Elmwood brands the Australian National Sports Museum

15 April 2008

Elmwood has branded the National Sports Museum in Australia, which opened this month at the new northern stand of Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The National Sports Museum was established to house Australia’s preeminent sporting collections, including the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and the Australian Football Exhibition.

Rather than being too ‘white glove’ in feel, the museum is a vibrant and exciting mix of sporting heritage and entertainment aimed at attracting match day patronage as well as catering for the MCG’s traditional tourist groups.

Elmwood was appointed to create a brand identity for this iconic venue that positioned the museum as an important cultural destination; a place where all Australians and international visitors could celebrate sport and the role it plays in our everyday lives.

The brand is based around the idea ‘moments that made us’. Every piece in the museum captures a sporting ‘moment’ that could never happen again; it’s these ‘moments’ that symbolise what Australian values are all about - unity, a fair go, pride and belief. The identity comprises of a collection of six-pointed stars that represented sporting ‘moments’ coming together to form the words ‘National Sports Museum’.

The stars are also used to create headlines in campaign applications, across advertising and outdoor media. The brand look and feel has been reproduced across TV, digital media and subtly integrated within the museum space.

The subject of the first advertising campaign, Cathy Freeman perhaps paid our work its biggest complement, telling our client the ‘Unity’ adverts had sent chills down her spine.