In 2023, Manchester United commissioned a standalone visual identity for the women's team, built from the ground up to separate from the men’s team. The catalyst was Mary Earps, England and Manchester United's goalkeeper, whose viral moment at the Women's Euros put a spotlight on women's football and the club overnight. The club moved quickly to capitalise on this, with a brief to create a distinct brand that could speak to a younger, culturally engaged Manchester audience and drive awareness of matches being played at Old Trafford for the first time.
Project Details
Full brand overhaul delivered pre-season under reactive timeline
Overwrote existing identity aligned to men's team across all channels
Coordinated with Adidas and commercial partners on brand alignment
Campaign creative for United We Rise across OOH, digital, and social
Stadium environment design for Old Trafford matchdays
Ticketing and awareness campaign targeting Manchester city audience
Brand toolkit handed to internal teams and external partners
Problem
Everything in place at the time mirrored the men's team. The shoots, the look, the templates. There was no distinct visual language for the women's side. With matches moving to Old Trafford and others held at Leigh Sports Village outside the city, the team also needed to drive attendance and give Manchester audiences a reason to show up. The brief had to be executed against a pre-season deadline, aligned with commercial partners including Adidas, and launched without the luxury of time.
Solution
A full visual identity was built rooted in Mancunian culture, grime, and street aesthetics, designed to speak to a younger audience already embedded in the city's cultural scene. The system covered digital, social, OOH, matchday graphics, and the Old Trafford stadium environment. The campaign ran under the line United We Rise. A complete brand toolkit was produced and handed to internal teams and external partners for ongoing use.
