Responses by Marta Swannie, creative partner, Design Bridge and Partners; and Fabio Tambosi, senior vice president of marketing, ESL FACEIT Group.
Background: “We forge authentic connections with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, nurturing their passions and laying the foundation for lifelong allegiances,” explains Fabio Tambosi on German esports organizer and production company ESL, which produces video game competitions around the world. “Gaming isn’t just another marketing tactic—it’s ingrained in our DNA. The gaming community is vibrant and very much alive, and it’s crucial to recognize its immense potential as a gateway to future fandoms. No longer do we need to convince anyone that gaming and esports are forces to be reckoned with—they’re here to stay. It’s vital to establish a meaningful presence and remain relevant in a space that thrives on community engagement.
“The bond we create with this community of passionate fans goes beyond mere loyalty; it’s a legacy,” Tambosi adds. “That’s exactly what we sought to showcase here.”
Design thinking: “We wanted to reclaim ESL’s heritage as the leader in esports and celebrate the community that has played such an integral role,” says Marta Swannie. “So, we created the tagline ‘Live Legendary’—the idea that everyone can make a mark in life by living fearlessly and seizing the moments that matter most.
“The expression of Live Legendary is a purposeful blend of historical and modern visual cues designed to elevate content to legendary status,” Swannie continues. “The identity features a playful tension between old and new, historic elements with a futuristic twist. While this might seem paradoxical for such a new sport, it’s fitting for an esport brand that has created so much legacy in such a short time.
“We created 3-D scans of real ESL community members and rendered them as 3-D marble statues, which offer an updated take on classical statues of ancient heroes,” Swannie explains on the identity’s design elements. “All images are shot from below with extreme angles and exaggerated perspectives to create epic portrayals of the community. The illustration style evokes a sense of history and heritage by applying an engraving or woodcut technique to the photography, contrasted with a neon green color palette. Building on the ESL masterbrand typeface ‘Legend,’ we developed a complementary bespoke typeface called ‘Legendary’ inspired by stone-carved engravings; additionally, the typeface creates background patterns by cropping into its unique geometric design.”
Challenges: “Balancing the design to feel both historic and modern while appealing to a global audience,” says Swannie. “Many historical references come from specific times and places, but we wanted to combine these elements to create a timeless, universal feel.”
Favorite details: “The spirit behind Live Legendary—the idea that anyone can make a mark in life by actively participating in the things they love rather than being a passive observer,” Swannie says. “It’s not just an inspiring idea; it’s a way of life.
“And the community-centric approach; involving the actual ESL community in the creation of the identity by scanning them and creating the 3-D marble statues,” she continues. “The enthusiasm from the community was overwhelming, and this approach brings real authenticity to our community-centric approach. I love that the identity features real people.”
Visual influences: “We conducted extensive research into historical documentation, from ancient statues glorifying heroes to tablets and engraved typography, illuminated manuscripts, early book layouts and more,” says Swannie. “We used this as inspiration, contrasting it against modern elements and the ESL masterbrand, maintaining continuity with the bright palette and original bespoke typeface while building on it.”
Specific project demands: “A significant challenge was creating an identity that resonates with the entire ESL community, which includes fans of very different games,” Swannie recalls. “ESL is a vast ecosystem encompassing many subcommunities that don’t necessarily mix. We brought them together under the banner of Live Legendary, a spirit that resonates with all of them. Additionally, we created a broad enough range of visual elements to allow ESL to speak directly to each community.”
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