FutureBrand partnered with the ECB to modernise and democratise cricket, bringing the game to a wider audience featuring the best players from around the world, competing in an exciting, city-based 100 ball match format.
Working alongside the English Cricket Board (ECB) FutureBrand are delighted to have played a part in the reimagining of cricket with the launch of The Hundred competition, developing both the name and the identity of the game.
The format is simple: Eight teams, representing seven cities from around the UK, will compete against each other with 100 balls per team and the team with the most runs wins.
The Hundred is intended to broaden the appeal of cricket and attract more families to the game. Each team has both a men's and women's side. The teams will play each other once, apart from their paired 'rivals', whom they meet twice (home and away). There will be 32 league matches in total, with the top three finishers competing in the Finals Day. The paired rivals (play each other twice) are: Leeds and Manchester, the two London teams, Birmingham and Nottingham; and Southampton and Cardiff. The matches themselves will be fast and exhilarating - in trial matches held last summer, innings were taking approximately one hour to complete.
England Test Captain, Joe Root, said at the launch of the new game, “This year has been monumental for cricket and we have seen achievements like never before. The best players in the world are coming here to compete and we're going to get the chance to test ourselves against them once again. There has never been a more exciting time for cricket.''
Working closely with the ECB and the teams across The Hundred, FutureBrand developed the competition and teams’ identities, helping to define the nature and character of the competition. This undertaking was informed by in-depth research conducted by FutureBrand and the ECB’s research partner, Craft. The team names are Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire.
Rob Calder Commercial Director of The Hundred said “FutureBrand have been an important part of the team as we and our colleagues across the game have developed the new team identities. The designs look great and the feedback from players has been really positive.”
"The overarching aim of The Hundred is to engage new audiences with a reimagining of cricket in a faster, more accessible format."
Nick Sykes, Global CEO of FutureBrand.
Commenting on the competition launch and brand development of The Hundred, Nick Sykes, Global CEO of FutureBrand said, “This new competition represents an exciting development for cricket in England. The overarching aim of The Hundred is to engage new audiences with a reimagining of cricket in a faster, more accessible format. The identities of the individual teams will play an important part in achieving that goal. A lot of work has gone into developing team identities, utilising FutureBrand’s expertise in sports branding. They reflect the character and values of individual cities and geographies and we hope this will translate into strong support for the teams.”
