Interstate Associates Develop New Branding For The FIA GT1 World Championship

SRO Motorsports Group (SRO) have launched a new 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship brand identity. Having been awarded world championship status by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, this year’s FIA GT1 World Championship will visit 10 countries in four continents, supported with a new logo and identity. 

This year, the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship, GT2 and GT3 European Championships, will be split into three new distinct and easily identifiable championships. The FIA GT1 World Championship will be for independent teams and professional drivers, the FIA GT2 European Championship for independent teams and pro-am driver crews, and the FIA GT3 European Championship for independent teams and non-professional drivers.

Iconic marques such as Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, Lamborghini, Maserati and Nissan will feature in the GT1 Championship while the GT2 and GT3 European Championships also feature Ascari, Audi, BMW, Ferrari and Porsche.  The 2010 championship starts at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on April 17 and ends at the Portrero de los Funes circuit in San Luis, Argentina on December 5. 

CEO of SRO, Stephane Ratel said: “After more than 15 years of development in rebuilding GT racing we wanted to start 2010 with a new brand image that represented our new world championship status.

“We want to develop a global platform to showcase the fastest, most desirable and intoxicating cars, learning from our proud heritage but looking to the future with a new, strong, dynamic and stylish brand identity.  By using the expertise of Interstate Associates I believe this new brand identity will help the championship capture the hearts and attention of motorsport fans around the globe.”

In December last year, Interstate Associates were appointed to help evaluate, research and re-design the brand identity of the FIA GT1 World Championship. 

"It was obvious from all our findings that GT racing had all the hallmarks of a wonderful property but its brand identity was doing little to confirm this," said Nick Downes, Interstate Partner and Managing Director.

"It features the glorious cars, the racing and the circuits that everyone dreams of. With GT the latest addition to the FIA's world championships, we decided that we wanted to work alongside SRO to brand it in a style more in keeping with its status and constituencies". The new identity introduces a level of crafting and detail that aligns well with the quality of the cars competing and the professionalism and global ambitions of SRO.
  
The marque draws its inspiration from the elegant lines, silhouettes and contours of GT car surfacing. Combined, these create a solid, confident marque that forms a unique 'GT' and an unmistakeable icon that aligns well with the championship's key facets: vehicle precision, driver skill, team motivation and fan loyalty. The modeling and flow of the logo are both intended to convey the quality of high-perfomance GT cars.

The new brand has a significant task ahead and with a number of GT categories to represent, the logos had to be visually integrated. In order to achieve the most effective and consistent identity for FIA GT as a whole, the designers sought to create a numeric suffix - featured as colour-coded insets - whilst maintaining a family of championship marques.

It is totally appropriate that the FIA GT1 World Championship fires into life in the modernist Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, a venue that reinforces our message of a new era in GT racing.

About Interstate
Interstate is a creative consultancy which designs visual solutions to enhance brand performance. Interstate operates a truly global creative consultancy with most clients and projects being international in scope.

Interstate work across spectrum of projects within international motorsport, having designed brand identities and structures for the FIA, Formula 1 and Allsport Management SA. 

Since 1987, Interstate have also worked for numerous Formula One teams, Ford in World Rally, Porsche and Maserati in sports cars and numerous Series’ including FIA Championships, V8STAR and The Porsche Supercup.  Interstate have an acute understanding of automotive brands and how they can utilise motorsport as a marketing environment and commercial platform.

Interstate’s broader portfolio includes work within the Real Estate, Investment Banking, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Sports Governing Bodies, Sporting Arena’s, Automotive Engineering, Private Aviation, and other movers including Jamie Oliver.