You Can Cover a Logo. You Can’t Cover a Brand.
As the FIFA World Cup takes over North America this summer, one of the most talked-about branding moments hasn’t happened on the pitch.
It’s happened on the side of a stadium.
To comply with FIFA’s longstanding “clean venue” requirements, host stadiums across the United States have temporarily shed their corporate identities. Levi’s Stadium became “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.” Mercedes-Benz Stadium became “Atlanta Stadium.” SoFi Stadium became “Los Angeles Stadium.” The goal was to ensure FIFA’s official sponsors own the commercial landscape during the tournament.
But in Santa Clara, something unexpected happened.
When FIFA required Levi’s branding to be covered, the iconic red Levi’s wordmark disappeared, but the unmistakable batwing shape remained visible beneath the cover. Levi’s went with a simple white sheet over their logo, and the result was almost comical. Everyone immediately knew exactly what brand was being hidden.
Levi’s then leaned into the moment across social media, turning a compliance exercise into an earned and owned media opportunity.
Being someone who kills time on road trips by dissecting billboard copy and design, the entire episode got me thinking about a larger takeaway: The strongest brands often are the ones that don’t need to say their name.
The strongest brands become shortcuts
Most brands spend years trying to build recognition. A select few become recognizable through shape, color, pattern or behavior alone.
You don’t need to see the Nike wordmark to recognize the swoosh. You don’t need to see the golden arches accompanied by “McDonald’s.” You don’t need to see the Levi’s name when you see that batwing silhouette.
When a visual asset becomes culturally embedded, it transcends the logo itself. The visual asset becomes inseparable from the brand itself. In an ironic way, FIFA’s effort to remove Levi’s branding became a public demonstration of how powerful its branding actually is.
Scarcity creates attention
Humans are naturally curious about what’s being concealed. It’s why brand-teaser tactics have stood the test of time.
Had the Levi’s logo remained untouched, few people outside the Bay Area would have discussed it. There would be thousands of jersey-clad fans herding into the front gates without a second thought to the larger-than-life, all-too-familiar logo they walked under.
By attempting to hide it, FIFA inadvertently created a moment that generated social conversation, news coverage and countless posts analyzing the cover-up itself.
Marketers spend millions trying to manufacture attention, but in this case, attention emerged organically because people noticed something missing. The attempted removal became the story.
Brand equity (can) beat media spend
One of the most interesting aspects of the moment is that Levi’s wasn’t an official FIFA sponsor. Truly a brand’s dream: spend nothing, cover your logo and still become part of the conversation.
The entire purpose of the clean venue policy is to protect the investments made by tournament sponsors. Yet the conversation surrounding Levi’s arguably generated more cultural attention than many paid sponsorship placements.
That’s not an argument against sponsorships. Sponsorships still can deliver immense value, but it is a reminder that brand equity and media spend are not the same thing. And it’s a reminder to think outside of the box; turn lemons into lemonade and ride the wave.
The challenge (and opportunity) of controlling brands in the modern era
FIFA’s rules aren’t new. Similar restrictions have existed at major international sporting events for decades. What’s different today is how quickly an audience can participate in the story.
Fans photograph, meme, repost and remix everything. The moment the covered logo appeared, social media did what social media does: People pointed out the obvious. And the audience became part of the branding and part of the conversation.
Once that happens, control shifts away from institutions and toward culture. To stay relevant, brand teams must be able to react quickly, think on their feet and jump into the conversation before the moment passes. Or be OK sitting back and watching things unfold.
And there is value in both. Brands don’t have to add their two cents to every online conversation, but if they have a unique opinion or creative take, hop in… quickly. Because when moments like that arise, gone are the days of week-long copy review and multi-level vetting to get approval to post.
Leadership has to be bought in on the speed needed to participate in the (ever important) conversations that blend institution and culture.
A reminder for marketers
The biggest takeaway for me isn’t about FIFA or even logos. Too often, organizations focus on making their logo bigger, increasing impressions or forcing visibility. (Don’t get me started on brands that insist on having their logo on every single social post. One of my pet peeves.)
But the Levi’s story suggests something different. The ultimate goal (pun intended) doesn’t always need to be about being seen. In many cases, more importantly is being remembered.
The brands that stand out over time are the ones that give people something to remember, whether that’s a distinctive visual identity, a compelling story, a unique perspective or a meaningful connection to their audience.
When a brand becomes truly distinctive, it can remain recognizable even when someone is actively trying to hide it.
And that’s a big reason we believe in doing PR. Differently., in taking the time and doing the groundwork on the front end to uncover the stories, intricacies and people that make our clients so memorable and then leveraging those differences to leave a lasting impression, regardless of the platform. Or whether the logo is small, larger than life or not there at all.
Aidan Newbold
With almost ten years of experience in the design space, Aidan Newbold is The Hodges Partnership’s Director of Creative Services. She has a multidisciplinary background with experience in graphic design, fine art, illustration, writing, advertising and photography.
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