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J.LEAGUE (Japan Professional Football League)

Design of Anniversary Symbol and Main Visual for the J.Leagues 30th Anniversary

Weve been supporting the J.Leagues overall branding through various initiatives, including the development of the leagues brand guidelines, since 2019. The J.League, which kicked off at Japans National Stadium on May 15, 1993, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. To commemorate this milestone year, weve created the J30 anniversary symbol and main visual.

J30 Symbol Featuring Text Modeled on the J.League Logo

The J30 anniversary symbol reflects the J.Leagues design principles of Fair, Progressive, and Vivid.

The J.League is effectively a national institution that unites all 60 of Japans professional soccer clubs. Accordingly, we carefully considered multiple design proposals, focusing on readability and ease of communication without favoring any one club.

After much trial and error, the J30 symbol was born. Its intended to act as a watchword that sparks a spirit of partnership among players, clubs, fans, supporters, and everyone involved with the J.League. Additionally, it aims to serve as a touchpoint for those who, because of the 30th anniversary, find themselves engaging with the league for the very first time. In this way, it functions as a symbol connecting the J.League to the future.

In terms of design, we stripped away as many elements as possible to ensure the symbol could be used by every club without looking out of place. The lettering is arranged to echo the shape of the J.League logo and is the black, white, and red logos dominant color of black, which expresses neutrality as it doesnt overlap the colors of any of the clubs.

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The design is simple yet symbolic, ensuring that the J30 watchword is effectively conveyed across all sizes and types of media.
Note: The visual is a concept image from the development stage.
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Note: The visual is a concept image from the development stage.
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Note: The visual is a concept image from the development stage.
The simple design sways with the whistle, expressing vivid energy.

J.League King: Embodying the J.Leagues Tradition and Warmth

The J.Leagues official mascot, J.League King, first appeared as a giant balloon during the opening ceremony of the leagues inaugural match at the National Stadium on May 15, 1993. Since then, J.League King has been a beloved mascot watching over the J.Leagues journey.

Reflecting the major shift toward digital art over the past 30 years, we fleshed out J.League Kings previous two-dimensional incarnation into three dimensions for the memorial year of 2023. The new design isnt just an update; its crafted to evoke even more affection by incorporating the tradition of the leagues 30-year history and the warmth one expects a mascot to exude.

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The two-dimensional J.League King (top left) has watched over the J.League for 30 years, while his new three-dimensional persona looks toward the leagues future. Weve also designed the mascots movements to enable its use as a versatile, future-proof animated asset in any context.
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Rather than just refining the existing design, weve reinvented it in such a way that its testimony to 30 years of battle on the pitch that everyone can appreciate.
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Note: The visual is a concept image from the development stage.
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The simple logo and sophisticated three-dimensional mascot complement each other to create a striking impression.
Note: The visual is a concept image from the development stage.

Project Information

  • Client: J.LEAGUE (Japan Professional Football League)
  • Expertise: Brand
  • Year: 2023

Project Team

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Kinya Tagawa
Design Engineer, Project Director
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Kotaro Yamaguchi
Designer, Project Director
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Ryo Kobayashi
Visual Designer, Motion Designer
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Tomoro Hanzawa
Graphic Designer, XR Designer, Project Director

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