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A brand's name and logo design are crucial elements that can make or break a first impression with an audience.
Branding agency Willoughby Design understood this when building a brand identity system for the Kansas City National Women’s Soccer League (KC NWSL) Team.
Behind the Design Process
Kansas City was awarded an expansion franchise by the NWSL on December 7, 2020, led by the ownership team of Angie and Chris Long and Brittany Mahomes.
Willoughby Design was tasked with creating a name, crest, website, and merchandise to debut in time for the draft on January 12, 2021, a mere five weeks later.
After careful consideration, Willoughby recommended the team make the strategic decision to create an interim brand because this identity was too important to build in a few short weeks over the holiday season.
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Keeping it simple was key in the early days while the permanent brand was being created.
So for the first year, the team played under the name “KC NWSL” with a very clean and classic crest.
The color palette featured a Kansas City-inspired blue and red. The addition of a disruptive teal, spearheaded by Angie Long, immediately captured the hearts of players and fans alike.
Given the time constraints, the branding agency placed its focus on a mantra that would remain constant for the team from day one: “We Play for Kansas City.”
Building An Authentic Brand
As the 2020 season progressed, Willoughby began the work to create the permanent name, crest, and brand for the team.
Research with players and inaugural club members told the branding team that the name needed to be authentically grounded in Kansas City while standing apart from the men’s teams.
It needed to represent women athletes who are ambitious, fierce, elite, powerful, visionary, and inclusive.
“When we take on a naming project, we always look for an authentic truth that can guide the process. In this case, the ah-ha moment came when we started discussing the power of the rivers.
Just as this team is a uniting force, the Kansas River connects with the Missouri River creating unity between the two states that make up the greater Kansas City area,” Willougby’s co-CEO and owner Megan Stephens, told DesignRush.
This is how “Kansas City Current” was born — a name for a team situated across two cities along the Missouri River, known for its rushing waters and fierce undertow.
The new logo design evolved from the elements that fans had grown to love about the inaugural crest, specifically the bold KC, the two stars, and the club colors: heartland red, storm blue, and teal.
The identity system includes a wordmark, a custom, proprietary brand typography system, and dynamic support graphics that reflect the perpetual movement of the river and the players.
“Every element is meticulously designed to tell the story of who we are, how we play, and what we represent as a club. I can’t wait to celebrate the championships that will be won with our team wearing and representing this new brand,” club Co-Owner Brittany Mahomes, who also chaired the club’s Brand Advisory Council, shared at the brand reveal.
The final name, crest, and colors were revealed at halftime of the final match of the inaugural season in 2021.
The media reach of the reveal was immense, with 1.1 million social impressions, a 90% increase in visitors to the website, 2.9 million earned impressions across media, and over 20,000 new email subscribers.
Making History on a Global Stage
The brand announcement also debuted the first look at a new $120 million stadium — the only facility in the world built specifically for a professional women’s sports organization. For a team called The Current, the stadium is fittingly located on the banks of the Missouri River.
As the stadium was being built, Willoughby worked with team owners, stadium architects, fabricators, and project managers to create a series of graphic images that celebrate women athletes and hometown pride.
From the teal seats and the iconic Kansas City destinations featured throughout the stadium to the monumental signage and the branded wallpaper patterns in the suites, Willoughby made sure to highlight the team’s players, culture, values, name, crest, and slogans.
In the past, women’s professional sports teams have been forced to use the same facilities as men, settle for leftover game times, and be given secondary branding rights.
In contrast, the moment you set foot into this stadium, you know you are in the home of the KC Current.
CPKC Stadium was completed in early 2024 and hosted the first match in front of a sell-out crowd in March. The KC Current was victorious.
Since then, the stadium has garnered worldwide attention, including being named one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places 2024.” It was also chosen to host the 2024 NWSL Championship game.
What Willoughby did for the KC Current isn’t easy.
Successfully building a brand that encapsulates what the team stands for to effectively increase awareness and recognition involves a well-planned design and marketing strategy.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
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