Wasps Rugby

Based at Coventry Building Society Arena, Wasps Sport is made up of men’s and women’s rugby, the academy, netball teams and the Community Foundation, They are one of the best-known names in both British and world sport. Wasps has a proud, colourful and diverse history spanning over 150 years.

Wanting to shine a light on the brand’s development, Wasps wanted to be seen as an entertainment and lifestyle brand. Running several programmes in schools, the brand is tackling health, numeracy and students at risk of exclusion. 

Wasps promote education, motivation and inspiration through the power of sport using The Wasps Community Foundation, both in Coventry and across the wider region. The brand is also helping to improve employability and inclusion through a range of training and wellbeing programmes.

The Black and Gold Army is evolving to become a catalyst for transformation and bolstering their communities. This called for an update of their brand guidelines, and who better than full-service marketing agency HDY to help generate some buzz.

Utilising our talented designers and copywriters, we created a set of brand guidelines that packed a punch. HDY made sure to realign Wasps as a lifestyle and entertainment brand, emphasising their care for the community alongside their dedication and love for sports.

The guidelines are based on three key themes: To be transformative, dig out the warriors, and break the mould. We outlined Wasps’ personality, tone of voice, design behaviours, logo, and visual language from these pillars, which led to the final result.

With new brand guidelines, Wasps were able to shout about their values using branding that reflected their passions outside of team sports. 

Their altered DNA allowed the brand to proudly place itself centre stage in communities, addressing and supporting people from all backgrounds as more than just a sports team. Our work has left a lasting impression on Wasps and their audience. A successful try by HDY led to a conversion, with a continued relationship with Wasps blossoming from the successful delivery of this project..

Quote from Adam Benson, Chief Commercial Officer:

HDY immediately understood what we were trying to achieve and set about producing brand guidelines capable of showcasing our core values. Their creative ability is superb, nothing was too much trouble. The result was greater than we could’ve imagined.