Responses by Gregg Finlay, creative director, Prophet

Background: Prophet was engaged to reframe the Formula E brand to stop the comparisons being drawn to the Formula 1 racing competitions and position the electric single-seater series ABB FIA Formula E Championship as an adrenaline racing competition in its own right. There were preconceived ideas that needed to change in order to be taken seriously by the racing world, and to engage with a younger, more mainstream audience.

Reasoning: We discovered that audiences are most drawn to the unpredictability and excitement that came from racing in the streets of iconic cities. Inspired by urban visual cultures—fly posters, street signs and road markings—Prophet worked to dramatize this gritty edginess by layering elements within the visual identity to create interruption, dynamism and energy. The refreshed color palette also imbued the identity with confidence and the power of electricity.

Favorite details: Whether it’s the site, a flag at an event, perimeter boards or the TV race graphics, the identity feels very distinctive and articulates the spirit of the brand. Another nice detail is the typeface, which was found by the Yarza Twins and refined by Rob Clarke. It was originally from an old travel poster in the 1920s. I love the idea that we took something from an entirely different era and not just re-used it, but also re-imagined it.

Visual influences: The idea of “the city lexicon.” It features layered and juxtaposed elements that mirror an urban cityscape, as a nod to the fact that the races take place in cities and the streets. This creates an identity that would feel as much at home on our screens as it would on the streets.

Time constraints: This was a fast project. Formula E is event based and the team does an incredible job of moving the races from city to city. This meant we had to run the project quickly with a tight but diverse team. Insights, strategy and design were all working hand-in-hand to push for the solution. So while time was a factor, the collaborative process with the client and its design team made it a success.

prophet.com