November 7 – Regular readers will know that Insideworldfootball is fond of corny headlines and the odd game of word association football, so you can imagine our delight at the press release from adidas and UEFA revealing that official ball for Euro 2020 will be called Uniforia.
“Named after both the unity and the euphoria that top-level national-team competition can bring, the Uniforia ball is designed to celebrate the inclusiveness that next year’s tournament will inspire throughout the continent,” said the press release.
At last football word play is extending beyond the ‘F’ word and igniting a playful literacy we knew was there all along. Indeed, we believe that Uniforia should be more than just a name for a ball, but the carrion call for a deeper and more meaningful movement as UEFA, following in FIFA’s muddy footsteps, takes those vital marketing strides to make the world a so-much better and more peaceful place. (Actually,there might be something sponsorable in this, ed).
“Uniforia’s design encompasses the notion of crossing bridges (and continents for this tournament), the blurring of boundaries (bit like VAR then), and the diversity (tell that to the Italians) that will accompany the tournament, through a unique mixture of art and football (a cultural exchange?). These elements were the starting point for the design process, which began in 2018,” the press release continues.
“When designing an official match ball, we always look to reflect culture; what is the spirit of the street that we can proudly showcase in the stadium,” said Anika Marie Kennaugh, product designer at adidas.
“What we saw in our cities – all our key cities – is the need to come together and unite for change. As one of the major sporting events in the world, UEFA EURO2020 is a great opportunity to proudly showcase the power of unity and to celebrate sport as a connector of people, ideas and creativity.”
Florian Alt, vice-president of brand marketing at adidas, said: “Football is for everyone, regardless of who you are, where you come from or what surface you play on – it unites us all when we play. With Uniforia, while it is just a symbol, it is a symbol we all can – and should – unite behind.”
We can also report that the ball is still going to be round, though we haven’t seen one yet.
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