Most fans of the Olympics and international sports will have heard of the WADA at least once or twice over the past couple of decades.
Since 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency has been the international agency responsible for ensuring athletes aren’t using steroids or other performance-enhancing substances.
In 2020, WADA hired Cossette to refresh its brand identity, inspired by its positioning of “Raising the game”—reflecting how it has helped athletes around the world by cleaning up their sports and ensuring they are given a fair chance to compete and win.
WADA launched the branding earlier this year, first with a new website, and then across its other channels and touch-points.
“We had to develop a complete brand ecosystem that would live up to WADA’s powerful ambitions and, at the same time, remain flexible so that it can adapt to all the agency’s needs across a wide range of activities,” said Richard Bélanger, vice-president, design, at Cossette, in a release.
“Our positioning of ‘Raising the Game’ will help shape what we do and explain how our people are delivering against our vision in collaboration with the global anti-doping community,” said WADA president Witold Bańka at the time. “It reflects the perception and experience that we want people to have of WADA.”
Fairness for athletes and a level playing field became guiding themes for the new branding. The new logo retains WADA’s equal sign, for example, but with a slight update.
“Our refreshed brand is reinforced by a new visual identity, starting with a modernized logo that depicts a more open, engaging and impactful brand,” said WADA communications director Catherine MacLean.
“It honours legacy elements of the logo we have had since our founding in 1999; such as a square that represents the rules and customs of the game, and an equal sign that evokes fairness with a human touch.”
The new website uses bright colours and bold lines, with stylized athlete imagery. “Green remains our colour and we have expanded our palette and design to reflect the various fields of play that athletes participate on worldwide,” said MacLean.
