The Bundesliga is Germany’s primary football (soccer) competition, with the highest average stadium attendance worldwide. Like many major national sports leagues, one of their goals is to increase worldwide visibility. Bundesliga’s head organisation DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) decided to develop a new brand to kick things off. They needed something simple and adaptable that could be recognised immediately.
DFL Sans is at the centre of the new identity and forms the foundation for all logos and sub-brands associated with DFL and Bundesliga. The solution takes a digital-first approach: a typeface created with varying screen resolutions in mind, but ultimately suitable for all media. The result is a slightly rounded, square construction. Generous proportions, wide counters, and open apertures facilitate readability in medium and small point sizes.
The typeface has been in operation since the start of the 2017/2018 season, carrying the on-air graphics, website, all social media channels, and merchandising; it is also integral to the Bundesliga arena experience.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Mutabor Design agency.