The Blazing Cup

America's Cup Management launched new logo

With the first races of the 32nd America’s Cup looming just over the horizon in September, a bold, new brand identity for the America’s Cup has been unveiled today.

‘The Blazing Cup’ is an incarnation of the passion, the prestige, and the fascination with the duel that is at the heart of the America’s Cup. Flames, sparked from two duelling yachts at the base of the Cup spiral up along its edge, symbolising the intensity and passion of the drama that is the America’s Cup.

"AC Management is very proud of the brand identity developed in collaboration with the team from Dragon Rouge. The identity developed completely captures the passion and spirit of the whole America’s Cup story, both from the past, and towards the future," said Margrethe van der Stroom Holdener, Director of Marketing and Business for AC Management. "I really think that this is the ultimate expression for the 32nd America’s Cup."

The bright new look is embodied by the black, red, silver and yellow hues used to create the bold new image of the America’s Cup. Black represents the uncompromising spirit, while Red is symbolic of the duel. The Silver is the America’s Cup. Yellow is for the host city of Valencia, Spain. Red and Yellow are powerful colours – the Red for the blood of the vanquished, Yellow for the Gold of the treasured prize. This is a perfect metaphor for the finality of the America’s Cup duel.

The powerful image of the Blazing Cup is reinforced with text. A slogan paraphrases response to a question posed by a disappointed Queen Victoria as she watched the yacht America cross the finish line ahead of the British fleet.

"Ma’am, there is no second," told the harsh truth over 150 years ago, just as we know that for the 32nd America’s Cup, "There will be no second."

The duel is a powerful theme for the 32nd America’s Cup. Throughout history the duel has been seen as an honourable response to a challenge. The Defender, the guardian of the America’s Cup, must rise to each challenge as it is presented, to win the duel. There will be no second - if the Defender fails, a new guardian will take its place but the Cup remains protected.

‘The Blazing Cup’, the brand architecture and the visual identity of the 32nd America’s Cup was created by Dragon Rouge, a European design and creative agency that was established in Paris by Pierre Cazaux and Patrick Veyssière 20 years ago. Today Dragon Rouge is one of the leading agencies in Europe with offices in London, Warsaw, Hamburg and New York. The America’s Cup design team was led by Christian de Bergh and Aaron Levin.

"The America’s Cup has been witness to more than 150 years of passion, glory, deception, honour, and revenge… It’s almost as if these stories were etched on to its surface. We wanted to do something that would express both the magnificence of the Cup and also the drama of these human feelings," explained Aaron Levin, Creative Director for Dragon Rouge.

"Flames and silver - that could sum up the essence of the America’s Cup, based on a duel to the finish. For one team there will be honour, prestige and fame. For the other there will be only the eternal flames of defeat."

Just as the Louis Vuitton Cup is an integral part of the America’s Cup, so too is the Louis Vuitton Cup logo. Recognised around the world since it was first created in 1986 as the symbol of the challenger selection series, the two-colour burgee has been flown by the challengers as they seek to defeat all others and has now been adapted to compliment the 32nd America’s Cup Blazing Cup identity.

"Over the coming weeks, this strong visual identity will be portrayed across all that touches the world of the America’s Cup," said van der Stroom Holdener.

From web interfaces to event posters, starting in the electronic world and moving to all real design applications, the ‘Blazing Cup’ will further develop the powerful emotions that are the essence of the America’s Cup.