Credit: Ico/Humanity FC
First, there were 32 contenders, and now, with the final match between France and Argentina scheduled for Sunday evening, we’re down to two. But something else has made it all this way alongside the final competing teams, too: controversy.
Global sporting events are no stranger to scandal and ethical grey areas, but the conversation around this year’s World Cup has been particularly fraught. FIFA has come under fire for a number of issues, not least the choice to host the Cup in Qatar, a nation embroiled in allegations of corruption and human rights violations. Some say that the Cup is directly benefiting from some of the nation’s controversial track record regarding the mistreatment of migrant workers.
Design has played an important role in many conversations about the ethical issues surrounding this year’s World Cup. From
But it’s not just teams and sports brands that are navigating how to express themselves whilst treading the fine line between celebrating the beautiful game of football and reckoning with the ugliness inherent in the way that the business side of things is managed at a global scale. The creative world is weighing in, too.
Take Leeds-based illustrator Darren Cullen, who designed 6,500 satirical “dead worker” World Cup
While it’s not surprising that anonymous designers and political artists like Cullen would take on the controversy surrounding the Cup, it is slightly more uncommon to see creative agencies taking a stand around a matter so fraught – especially when sports branding and campaign work make for lucrative business in the branding and advertising fields.
But at least two agencies are determined to raise awareness – and funds – highlighting the human rights concerns in Qatar and the inherent conflict of the Cup’s presence there through design and creative collaboration.
Credit: Hen’s Teeth
One of those is the Dublin-based creative agency
Included in the Hen’s Teeth starting lineup are jerseys for the finalists, France (illustrated by
“The World Cup is one of those few events that genuinely brings folks together in a positive way, but we can’t ignore the incredibly dark side of this year’s event and what has happened in the build-up to the competition in Qatar,” said Greg Spring, founder and creative director at Hen’s Teeth. “It felt like the right time to do a show like this with some of our favourite artists from around the globe and hopefully raise some much-needed funds for Amnesty’s campaign for compensation for the migrant workers impacted.”
Vivek Bhatia, creative director at
Like Hen’s Teeth, Bhatia and his team at Ico were compelled to bring artists together for a meaningful fundraiser that both celebrates the uniting power of football whilst acknowledging the ugly truths at play – with the hopes of doing some concrete good along the way. Enter
Credit: Hen’s Teeth
Credit: Hen’s Teeth
Credit: Hen’s Teeth
Humanity FC brought together 32 international creatives of 27 nationalities to help create one unique football. The eclectic mix of designers, illustrators, studios, architects and writers was tasked by Ico to interpret the theme of ‘solidarity’ – intended to positively respond to the negativity surrounding this year’s World Cup.
The ball will be raffled in the new year. Tickets can be bought now, with proceeds benefiting
To create the Humanity FC ball, each participating creative was given one of the football’s 32 hexagonal or pentagonal panels to illustrate. “The result is a one-of-a-kind piece of art designed to remind audiences that although we may cheer for different teams, ultimately, we’re all on the same side,” said Ico’s Creative Director Vivek Bhatia.
And for the artists involved, the impact reaches far beyond this moment and this particular World Cup.
Adam G, designer and co-founder of
Credit: Ico/Humanity FC
Credit: Ico/Humanity FC
Credit: Ico/Humanity FC
Credit: Ico/Humanity FC
That desire for positive impact is becoming increasingly ubiquitous in the conversations designers and agencies have about their role in business, culture, and the world. The ongoing response to the World Cup is just one of many ways designers use their skills to create progress. It’s heartening to see so many designers and agencies unite in favour of humanity over commercialism – it’s a sign that the role of design, especially in something so globally commercial as the sports industry, is shifting.
Will designers continue to use their skills to highlight humanitarian issues, pressure institutions worldwide to do better, reject corruption and exploitation, and adapt better and more humanitarian practices? Ico’s Vivek Bhatia thinks so.
“One thing I have learned from this is that anything we do around a World Cup or a sporting event, I think it’s important to have a point of view on it,” adds Bhatia. “And to express that point of view in an interesting, compelling way – not to brush any controversy under the carpet.”