Last night, as I enjoyed Harris Teeter’s finest crab legs (in honor of the Baltimore Ravens) and a room chilled Heineken, or 2, (in honor of Holland) I began to think about design and the effect it must have on the Super Bowl.
Why my mind was on graphics and visuals during the most anticipated television
After doing much research in a sober state I found out that the element of design is just as vital to the Super Bowl as the two teams themselves. Great time and effort go into making the greatest annual sporting event not only entertaining but a visual spectacle as well. The Super Bowl’s internal creative team totals 34 — made up of 4 art directors, 13 designers, 3 photographers, 2 production artists, 3 quality control specialists, 4 project managers and 4 brand managers.
I mean just think, the game’s logo itself is designed 16 months before the game is even played. That means the 2014 Super Bowl logo was in production before the 2012-13 season began!
Design impacts the Super Bowl experience for not only the fans but for the players too. It plays just as a big of a role as the custom Super Bowl jersey they’ll model come kickoff.
Like the players, and fans of the game, the hosting city is also altered by the detail that goes into every Super Bowl. Every year one city is temporarily remodeled overnight to play the perfect host for the game. Billboards and banners go up, bars and eateries adopt the theme to initiate customers and even public transportation services have adjusted to the “big game”.
So next year when you’re watching the game, don’t just focus on the teams (that you’re likely not even a fan of), the dramatic half time shows and the overly expensive 30 second ineffective commercials shown. Take a look at the consistent measure in the creative assets that accompany all the understated amentities listed above!