Inspiring install and rebrand for Norwich City stadium
Norwich City Football Club stadium grounds are host to numerous home and away matches throughout the year, and the Canaries are a large source of pride for Norwich City and fans alike.
We have had a collaborative working relationship with Norwich City for around 18 months, in an effort to rebrand the largest Concourse Area at Carrow Road - located in the South Stand.
Carrow Road is the home of Premier League side Norwich City and hosts up to 27,000 fans each fortnight when City play their home fixtures. There’s much more than just football - with Norwich City stadium also hosting plenty of other events throughout the year, including music gigs and acts, such as Take That.
The area was in much need of a thorough revamp to improve the overall ambience:
- The wayfinding and toilet signage were very dated
- The branding was out of sync with the club’s brand guidelines and colours
- The overall “mish-mash” of signs and wall designs was disjointed
- There was a complete lack of consistency - from outdated player information to blank and ageing walls
Showcasing the Canaries' pride in an engaging way
Working very closely with the Marketing team, we were asked to look at areas within the stand where branding could be updated and, at the same time, improve the look and feel of the area.
Key objectives:
- Provide a captivating space for fans that felt welcoming
- Generate a cohesive look that ensured a level of consistency for the NCFC brand
- Make the South Stand easier to navigate, whilst retaining the hospitable feel of the stadium and ethos of Norwich City
- Allow for the space to feel familiar, with elements that reflect what fans love about the team
- Retain a fun and modern appearance to the space, yet remain professional and accessible
- Allow for safety and wayfinding signage to be clearer and easier to follow, whilst staying on brand
The concept was to be big and bold - improve the overall spirit of the area and at the same time engage with fans, while conforming to the existing brand guidelines. With original graphics generated by our in-house design team, we were able to put together an incredibly cohesive design.
Norwich City FC wanted to give the fans an unforgettable experience every time they entered the building, and we delivered.
Using eye-catching designs to give fans a memorable experience
We presented Norwich City with an original, 3-D rendered walk-through of the space, then turned that digital version into a reality.
We didn’t just provide branded wraps for walls, but also toilet doors, and pillars. These were themed to represent various Norwich City legends by incorporating the numbers and kits they wore for Norwich. This helped the fans engage with club facts and history.
All traditional signage was adapted to fit in with the existing brand and to compliment the newly rejuvenated atmosphere of the space, including all safety/information signs. This was designed to fit in seamlessly and remove the existing “clutter” on the walls, creating the effect of a brighter, cleaner, and more spacious area.
The lyrics to Norwich City’s iconic anthem ‘On The Ball, City’ – which is widely considered to be the world’s oldest football song – were applied to the face of the steps to the stadium which fans will see as they take their seats.
We primarily used textured wall film for the wall/pillar wraps, and Auraflex for stairs branding/traditional signage, to create a new vibe with materials that would last.
Since the project was made public, there has been a massive, overwhelmingly positive response on social media from the fans, and from the client - with many people hailing the project as a much-needed, perfectly executed renovation. Visitors to Norwich stadium are now immersed in a captivating and cohesive environment.
