Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer
National Training Center
Brand Identity, 2024
Responsibilities
Art direction, design direction, brand identity system, brand guidelines
Unlike traditional football powerhouses, U.S. Soccer has never had a national training center, instead training its teams at different facilities depending on circumstances. When U.S. Soccer announced in late 2023 that it not only was relocating its Chicago headquarters to Atlanta but also was going to break ground on a state-of-the-art training center there, it tasked AKQA with creating a brand that would capture its teams’ nonstop commitment to excellence while inspiring the next generation of players and fans. Together at AKQA, we created a comprehensive brand identity system and brand strategy, giving U.S. Soccer a solid foundation poised for growth.
A beacon waving from high.
The new mark symbolizes how the headquarters is the very capital of soccer in America, standing like a beacon for all who live and breathe the sport. It draws elements from the U.S. Soccer crest, the national flag, and the architecture of the Training Center itself to connote strength, showing how the Training Center serves as the very foundation of the sport.
Brand Expressions
The brand conveys patriotism, pride and a sense of constant motion and motivation, evoking the American character of the self-made individual, the optimistic go-getter, fueled by big ambitions and bold dreams in a nonstop pursuit of the next victory.
Setting the stage for the next star.
This is a pivotal moment for U.S. Soccer to connect with a larger audience. With the upcoming 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, The National Training Center’s branding will inspire the many young players who enter the campus, the ones who believe that one day they’ll etch their names into soccer immortality.
AKQA Atlanta
Creative Direction
Thad Goad
Manuel Ortiz
Design and Art Direction
Martin Pohlmann
Strategy
Alyson Gaiser
Tom Mullen
Copy
Tom Mullen
Press
U.S. Soccer Unveils Logo for Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center—ussoccer.org