Fire Dept. rebrand gives The FA Disability Cup the prestige it deserves

Running under the campaign title "Here For Glory", the new identity from Fire Dept. aims to ensure that players within impairment-specific football have a national FA competition to call their own, complete with dreams of reaching St George's Park for finals weekend. The sad truth is that despite being the pinnacle of disability football in England, the competition does not enjoy the same reputation as its mainstream counterpart.

Part of this second billing status can be pinned on its old branding in that it didn't really have a design identity to call its own. Until Fire Dept. came along, The FA Disability Cup sat within The FA's 'For All' visual style, which had the unfortunate and unintended side effect of making the competition appear as a sub-category of the 'real' FA cup.

That's where Fire Dept. come in. With their cool and distinctive brand identity, they have carved out a better footing for The Disability Cup, emphasising the sport and the players' athletic prowess. Launched as part of The FA's landmark disability football initiative, Football Your Way, it will help develop, improve and raise awareness of Disability Football in England.

Designed to appear across all channels, including kits, tickets, fan scarves, out-of-home advertising and online platforms, the new visuals promote elite-level skill and the competitive spirit, making The Disability Cup a prestigious feat of sporting excellence. It also helps to spread the word of the competition and raise its profile.

"The idea is drawn from the insight that for the players, The FA Disability Cup isn't viewed as just an opportunity to talk about their backstory or struggles in life," explains Chris Duffy, Creative Director at Fire Dept. "It's not seen as a platform to become inspirational icons because of their impairments, but as a by-product of what they do on the pitch."

He adds: "This isn't about just having a go. Or being a beacon of inspiration. In the FA Disability Cup, disability isn't an obstacle to greatness. The skill. The spirit. The hard work. The will. These are the deciding factors. The players are all here to compete with the elite and for success above all. Here for glory."

Mobile network EE has also signed up to be the lead partner of The Disability Cup to support the growth of disability football on and off the pitch. With the help of its coverage, the competition will be as inclusive and accessible as possible for fans and spectators with disabilities.

A three-year commitment to broadcast The FA Disability Cup exclusively live on BT Sport has also been agreed upon. For the second consecutive year, the competition will also be the most accessible live broadcast of a UK football match.