WSL
Championship
Tour

Brand Marketing Refresh

Defining a new creative direction for the world’s best surfing. 

OVERVIEW

The WSL Championship Tour (CT) is the elite level of professional surfing, where the top 54 surfers compete in a series of events across the globe to win the World Title. This is the apex of competitive surfing, featuring the world's best surfers battling it out at iconic surfing venues. The season culminates with the WSL Finals—a one day event where the top 5 men and 5 women compete for the Title.

SITUATION

Before the 2024 season, an audit to critically review all creative marketing assets for the CT—the general sentiment was that it lacked the dynamic energy of surfing, the grittiness of competition, and the excitement of surprise.

With just 6 weeks, a core team was assembled to concept, write, design, and produce a new creative direction for the Championship Tour. Our goal was to win with fans and athletes.

We began by asking “what does the creative need to do” so that we’re successful?

Make bold statements.
Speak like a fan.
Deliver the message with
expressive design.

The visual identity was created from 10 foundational design mock-ups.

With them, a new font system, core messaging, tour iconography, hand drawn elements and textures, color theory, and photo direction were introduced.

The eventual brand guideline document was compiled and built by agency partner Apparent.

YouTube, Instagram, and email were opportunity focal points—each with high consumer engagement.

Showing up strong and winning there
with fans was clutch. Social posts and YouTube thumbnails informed and invited engagement.

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With email open rates above 50%,
we doubled down.

A cadence of PRE, DURING, and POST was structure to sell event merchandise, play WSL Fantasy, watch live, and catch up on missed moments.

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“Don’t say watch the Pipe Pro—say watch John John at the Pipe Pro.”

Event marketing videos
embraced fan-favorite athletes who
dominated that venue.

When fans play WSL Fantasy, their watch hours increase exponentially.

We made sure
they didn’t forget.

The visual identity also informed a new collection of CT branded apparel.

The tour tee quickly became a fan favorite outselling
all other WSL branded apparel.

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Credits

Dan Willon
Copy

Kevin Rask
Design

Alexander Carter
Design

Matt Hogan
Motion Graphics and Color

Jason Penning
Creative Direction/Design