Have you ever watched a major sporting event and wondered what the point of it all was?
The Olympics are a great example of this. We all know that the Olympics are a great event and that most people enjoy watching the competitions. But, at the end of the day, the whole point of the Olympics is to bring people together in celebration of human achievement and resilience.
The same goes for other sports as well. A World Cup game might be exciting to watch, but at the end of the day, we’re only really interested in one thing: Will my team win?
This one-dimensional approach to sports can get rather boring, especially as the same old arguments start to ring around in your head. But there’s more than one way to look at sports and more than one way to enjoy them. One important element to remember is that no matter what game you enjoy watching, there’s always some element of competition. And that’s what makes it exciting. It’s about who’s going to win and how they’re going to do it. It adds character.
This is something that the X-1st Corporation, an esports betting company, wanted to convey in their newest logo and identity. After all, a lot of their customers are people who enjoy betting on sport and would identify as being either competitive or having a great interest in the outcomes of sporting events. So, they set out to develop a logo that symbolises this competitive edge, while also creating a sense of community and celebration. And, as you’ll see, they nailed it.
Goals Mean Everything
To better understand what X-1st goal means in sports betting, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Back in 2003, when the world was still going through the post-9/11 recession, people were more open to new ideas and opportunities. In that spirit, Unibet, a major sports betting company, decided to give football (soccer) fans what they wanted: a way to bet on their favourite English Premier League team, Chelsea. The world’s best footballers were about to kick-off the new season and Chelsea’s captain, John Terry, was set to lead his team out on the pitch. Unibet knew that this was going to be a highly anticipated match and they wanted to make sure that their customers felt a part of it. So, they organised a competition in which fans could get involved in a fun, yet meaningful way.
The contest encouraged participants to create a YouTube video explaining why they were supporting Chelsea. The winning entry cleverly combined footage from the captain’s walk-out, with clips of Terry speaking with the then-manager, José Mourinho. The clip ends with a fanfare and the words “Don’t miss your chance to bet on this game!”
This one video won the contest and not only did it help launch the career of one of the contest’s contributors, but it also helped make Unibet a lot of money. The video became a viral sensation and, since then, has been downloaded millions of times and inspired hundreds of others to try their hand at marketing. Unibet’s success in bringing this together is a perfect example of the kind of work that the X-1st Corporation does. They may not be the first company to come up with this idea, but they’re certainly the biggest and most established company in esports betting to adopt it. And it shows.
An element of competition, entertainment, and community have always been present in sports, but the rise of social media and online communities has made these values more accessible to the average person. These days, you don’t need to be a professional athlete to join a team or to compete in any sporting event. You just need an interest in the game and some dedication. This has given birth to a generation of digitally-native fans who are more informed about, and engaged with, their favourite sports than ever before.
The X Factor
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you’ll know that we often write about the importance of storytelling in business. It’s something that we’ve talked about many times in the past, both here and on the social media platforms that we use regularly. And it’s a principle that the X-1st Corporation embraced straight away. As soon as they launched their new brand identity and logo, they started to see a major spike in traffic on their website. People were looking for more information about this new company and the services that they offered. So, they decided to make a video to further explain what they were about and why they were different to other companies in their space. In the video, they tell the story of how they came to be.
Through careful planning and creative storyboarding, they were able to craft an engaging video narrative that builds up both excitement and curiosity about their brand. Even now, after multiple viewings, it’s still one of our favourite videos on the channel.
To start with, the visual language is on point. The use of bold colours and contrast between light and dark areas makes the video feel alive and engaging. And the soundtrack, by Jake Ober, adds to the suspense and excitement of the story. It helped create a truly immersive experience for the viewer and it will be the first thing that people remember about this video.
Their design choices, from the typeface to the colour palettes, all work together to create a completely cohesive identity, fully aligned with their brand values. Everything from the logo to their website, social media pages, and email templates are designed to instil confidence and promote a sense of belonging.
The Champion
Champions are people who have dedicated their lives to being the best at whatever they do. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, is a perfect example of a champion. He dedicated his life to swimming and, as a result, spent over a decade training to become the best swimmer in the world. Only one person can be the best at something and that’s exactly what champions do: they strive to be the best at what they do. Just like Phelps.
But champions can also represent many things. Aside from sports people, we often think of movie stars, musicians, and other prominent figures who are celebrated for their work and the passion that they display. An athlete who wins multiple gold medals is, in effect, a champion of the entire Olympic community. That’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure, which is why we think that champions generally enjoy their work and why they do it. It’s not just a hobby.
In short, a champion is someone who you can root for because they work hard and because they’re good at what they do. They give you a sense of pride and achievement when you watch them do their thing. It’s an identity that the X-1st Corporation wanted to represent and they’ve certainly accomplished it. In doing so, they’ve created a new identity for sports bettors and, hopefully, this will lead to more engaged and passionate fans who identify as such. More importantly, it shows that even in an industry as competitive as sports betting, there’s still plenty of room for innovation and fresh ideas.