Hockey Federation is getting ready for the World Cup.
Client: Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond (Royal Dutch Field Hockey Federation)
Industry: Sport
Assignment: Brand Update
Goal: Get the brand in shape for the run-up to the World Cup in 2026.
The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup is just around the corner. And its host countries are The Netherlands & Belgium. So the Royal Dutch Field Hockey Federation (KNHB) decided it was time to clean up the brand in preparation for all that attention that is sure to come their way. Because, yeah, we Dutchies tend to win as well.
The assignment
Just as a beach lover looks in the mirror in early spring and decides it’s time to get in shape, so did the KNHB when looking at its brand. It wasn’t terrible, but it was not very well thought out. And the lack of clear guidance sprung an uncontrolled growth of many derivatives and variations upon the brand basics. The main problem was consistency, ease of use and recognizability.
Revolte has been a long term partner of the KNHB, and so the task to clean up, update, and modernise the brand fell to us. Get this brand ready for summer 2026.
The logo
The old logo had an unnecessarily wide spacing, which made it feel dated. A simple kerning exercise and some new layout rules modernised the logo. We’ve liberated it from its former top-left holding shape, setting it free to be used and enjoyed all over the grid.
Type
Like with the logo, we updated the type by way of application. Interstate Black Condensed is a bold and recognizable font, that does best if it’s allowed to go loud. It shows the energy and power that this sport harnasses.
Color
There were so many colors floating around, even various shades of orange. The main brand asset and national color. We brought it down to three: orange, blue and green. With a special exception of yellow for youth hockey - a massive focal point of marketing to secure the future of the sport.
By having a limited color palette we give the federations communication a much more organised and consistent feel.
Grid
Important in this brand update is setting rules for application. Hockey is best played using all the corners of the field. Spread out, take the space, find your in.
We applied the same rule to lay-out. Use all four corners where you can, Don’t be afraid to get close to the line, but don’t go over.
Client
KNHB
Questions about this project?
Ask Sjoerd
Sjoerd Wenting
Founder and art-director
Revolte Studio
