Matthew Dennis Doyle and Professor Adrian Pulfer, Visual Arts
The project I completed combined my future occupation with my favorite pastime- soccer. Simply put, graphic design is problem-solving and a problem that needs solving is a lack of game loyalty or fan support which is necessary for the growth of soccer in the United States. Many youth participate in the game but I found, in a phone conversation with a Utah leader of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), that most kids drop out between the ages of 12 to 14 (sixth to eighth grade), and if kids aren’t playing by the fifth grade they will probably never play in a league. To remedy this, I put together a hypothetical promotional kit that would advertise, educate, and appeal to the afore mentioned group (including 10 and 11 year olds). The kit would be passed out at soccer league sign-ups with the hope that the information would be presented in a way that would not only maintain interest, but strengthen the participants’ tie to the game.
Research was required before I could start the project. I looked into the Utah soccer market to see what age groups the promotional kit should target. I studied how soccer is currently being marketed in the U.S. (equipment ads, commercials, uniforms, World Cup, and marketing of the Major Soccer League). I checked out promotions of other sports and sporting equipment including the NBA, the Olympics, and Nike advertising. The most interesting part of the research came in a phone conversation with Scott LeTellier, CEO of Eagle International, the company that organized the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and the 1994 World Cup. I found out how and why they chose various designs for the different events they supervised. For the booklets photography and some additional information, I used international soccer magazines and books from the library. I also looked at various designers work in design annuals for creative ideas and inspiration.
The completed five piece soccer promotion kit consists of a poster, two booklets, and a practice jersey contained in a box. The poster is 24″ x 29.” The 7.5″ x 7.5″ player booklet has twenty pages, containing a brief soccer history, soccer information and vocabulary, and famous players. The 3.5″ x 7.5″ rule book contains 10 pages of simplified laws of the game (with examples and pictures). The practice jersey has a black design on grey t-shirt. The whole kit is contained in a box 2″ high and 7.6″ x 10.” A strong identity was needed to make the project work. I tried to give the kit (and game) ownership by titling the whole thing your game, using slight variations such as your rules on the rule book and 100% soccer on the back of the t-shirt in the same type configuration. The artwork on the booklet covers is consistent with that used on the box and t-shirt. Dynamic duo-toned (red, yellow, blue, and green) photography of actual world class players in game situations are used throughout the piece, half being cut from their background and pasted on a white page. The type used is Zurich bold extra extended with Zurich bold condensed for the rule book text and captions. Vocabulary type mimics the games movement by its contrasts in size and placement within a grid based on a square.
The project was completed on the 15th of April, and hung in the Brimhall Gallery as part of the BFA Senior Projects Show from April 15-26, 1996. On the wall hung the poster, sample booklet spreads (mounted on black matte board and framed behind glass), and two t-shirts (to illustrate both front and back designs). The 3D model and bound booklets sat on the pedestal.
This is a close-up example of one of the spreads used in the players booklet. The colors in the photography were red, yellow, blue, or green. Backgrounds and many edges on the imagery were blurred for an ideal surreal feel for the sport. Famous international players were also used in an effort to familiarize them to the U.S. youth target market.