Ryder Cup Europe and The PGA of America have announced the launch of a new official logo for The Ryder Cup, which will unify the brand and strengthen the alliance between the two organising bodies of the world’s most famous team golf competition.
Ryder Cup Europe and The PGA of America engaged Interbrand, one of the world’s foremost brand consulting agencies, to support their objective to further enhance and expand the global brand awareness of The Ryder Cup.
The 2012 Ryder Cup, to be contested by Europe and the United States at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, USA, on September 28-30, 2012, will be the first match in the history of the competition – started in 1927 – to feature a unified logo. The logo takes shape in a cohesive, commanding presentation with the configuration similar to that of a coat of arms. The famous golden trophy is flanked by a segment of the flags of Europe and the United States.
Richard Hills, the European Ryder Cup Director, said: “One of the strengths of The Ryder Cup as a brand is the superb partnership we share with the PGA of America. Consolidating the brand not only reflects that alliance but also our desire to further enhance the global attraction of a competition whose footprint now stretches way beyond followers of golf.”
Joe Steranka, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of America, said: “The Ryder Cup’s rich history, spanning 84 years of some of the most significant competitive moments in golf, is reflected even brighter today by a new presentation of a distinctive brand. The PGA of America is most pleased to join Ryder Cup Europe in presenting a unified visual image of The Ryder Cup logo that will extend its popularity to new audiences worldwide.”
David Martin, President of New York and Leader of Interbrand’s Golf Practice, said: “We all believed in the power of the brand; that it was time to make the Ryder Cup brand more broadly relevant to more than the passionate golf fan. The Ryder Cup stands for legendary experiences and is founded on three pillars – illustrious traditions, a collective pursuit by each team, and pure drama.
“The brand research process was a strategy that reinforced the Ryder Cup’s relevancy for the future. The Ryder Cup is a competition that has longevity, and the consensus of all within the project was that its brand must be powerful to withstand any challenge. The power of the shield is a mark that has a contemporary feel to it. It is fundamentally sound and works well in applications from merchandising to the Internet, and yet remains self-contained.”
2012 Ryder Cup www.rydercup.com
Interbrand www.interbrand.com