Barkas’ identity for Common Goal injects a friendly feel into the footballing world

Common Goal is a global network that connects communities across 90 countries through the power and shared enthusiasm for football. Founded by the social entrepreneur Jüegen Griseback and with a large board that includes footballers like Juan Mata and Vivianne Miedema, the network leads with initiatives like how football can be more gender inclusive, environmentally minded and anti-racist, and how such action on the pitch can extend into wider society.

Recently, the independent creative company Barkas, based between Copenhagen and Stockholm, were tasked with overhauling Common Goal’s visual look; not just as a simple rebrand, but as something to communicate a wider strategic shift, something that shone a light on Common Goal’s wider community. “We wanted the visual identity to reflect Common Goal’s unique position as a network that brings people together for meaningful change,” says Barkas’ partner and business director Luca Rasmussen. “The overarching look had to be bold and energising yet flexible enough to give space to others – whether that’s partners, projects, or creatives.”

The project resonated with Barkas as there’s a “big passion” for football within the team, and some members had even been following Common Goal’s journey for a number of years. With this love of the sport and belief in the ethos and mission of Common Goal, the team sought to deliver a feeling that balanced “optimism and action”. Luca continues: “With football as a unifying force, we also wanted to celebrate its global, inclusive nature. Ultimately, the message is clear: Common Goal is here to connect, inspire, and drive progress, all while embodying the passion and energy of the game.”

This vision encapsulating the passion and community at the core of football is best translated in the brand’s new logo, which shows two players tackling, the formation of their arms making a heart. Originally, the team explored what Luca describes as a “minimal art museum-inspired direction”, before realising the more organic, hand-drawn logo and the “balancing of character and warmth with a sense of movement and purpose” made much more sense within the overall vision. Born from the logo are a family of illustrated icons – footballs, stars, megaphones and more – which inject some life into typically mundane objects, like reports and presentations.

While striking photography from the organisation features in the brand (mainly shots of games in motion) Barkas wanted to ensure that the brand could exist comfortably without relying too heavily on it. This meant the logo and icons needed to be paired with a bold type choice and strong colour scheme. The chosen typeface is Raw from Zurich-based Out of the Dark foundry, which provides a balance to the handmade feel of the logo with its distinct upper-case presence which, when paired with the logo makes the identity, in Luca’s words “both opinionated and approachable”.

When it came to colour, the team decided to consciously veer away from brash neon tones – those typically associated with the sporting sphere. Still keeping things vibrant, the colours are warm and inviting, pastel yellows with earthy greens, deep maroons with muted pink, and are chosen from AA-tested colour pairs to ensure accessibility. In sum, Barkas’ identity is a clear indicator that sports-related design can turn away from fast flashy trends, and adopt something that more readily welcomes the many communities and individuals who love nothing more than a ball at their feet.