Bond’s typeface for the Finnish football league is based on the shape and movement of fan scarfs

Rebranding Finland’s top professional football league, Veikkausliiga, sounds daunting on paper. But, for the Helsinki-based studio Bond, there was an evident route in: the fans. “The tone of the brand is rooted in emotion,” Bond’s chief design officer and founder Jesper Bange says, “it reflects passion, unity, and pride.” Built to translate this cacophony of intense emotions, which, aesthetically, could feel somewhat scattershot, Bond opted for an altogether more architectural approach.

Leading the brand is a bespoke typeface, the design of which is based on the shared experience of every Veikkausligga fan, regardless of the team they support – that being the scarfs they wear. “The scarf plays a key role here,” Jesper explains, “it brings people together, both physically and symbolically,” acting as a universal symbol of football fandom. “By continuing the original idea of a fan holding a scarf, we forged an identity that feels both familiar and emotionally powerful.” 

The bespoke typeface, Scarf Gothic, is playfully boxy and cornersome in its construction, finding a distinctive intersection between rigidity and candour. Its initial design came from Bond’s exploration of how one could fold a scarf to creative letterforms. “From there, we started sketching multiple versions of each character,” Jesper recalls. “One challenge in developing Scarf Gothic was ensuring it remained legible while still maintaining its unique character,” he says, needing it to truly stand out and not simply blend into the crowd. Working with type designer Teo Tuominen, the aim was the create a sense of harmony. “The typeface had to work alongside the abstract logo and other geometric, bold design elements, and that required careful balance,” Jesper adds.

The studious balance of form and flair at the heart of Veikkausliiga’s brand is also forged by Bond’s approach to pattern and colour – a distinctive supporting element to the identity introduced to reflect football’s emotional spectrum. “They were designed to visually capture the emotional highs and lows fans experience throughout the season,” Jesper says, whilst also adapting to each of the club’s own colours, creating a personal connection between fan, team and league. As a result, the identity achieves what it set out to do, bringing the sport together and celebrating those within it without leaning into nostalgia, cementing a profoundly forward-thinking identity. “The goal wasn’t to get stuck in the past, but to create something relevant to younger, digitally savvy fans,” Jesper ends, “because of this flexible and emotional foundation, the brand can evolve along with the league and its audiences.”