Dylan Griffith

In Amsterdam, and across the Netherlands, few names command more reverence than Ajax. So to be asked to rebrand AFC Ajax in their 125th anniversary year – coinciding with Amsterdam’s own 750th celebration – it wasn’t just a brief. It was a moment.

Ajax’s remarkable archive department proved invaluable, offering a wealth of beautifully preserved and meticulously documented material that guided our process from the very beginning.

Our goal was to reflect this philosophy in our approach to the rebrand. In essence, the team’s ‘Total Football’ became our inspiration for a form of Total Design—an adaptive, wide-ranging system unified by a consistent aesthetic, built for movement.

The logotype draws directly from the typography featured in the reintroduced ‘classic logo,’ refined with a contemporary edge.

Many football – and sports – brands often default to bold, italicised sans serif typefaces that demand attention with their loud, shouty; and assertive style.

Ajax are instantly recognisable by their iconic home kit. To open up new possibilities and allow for more expressive, sector-specific storytelling, we introduced a set of complementary colours: claret, salmon pink, gold and coral.

The ‘Energising Red’ relates to the third pillar of Ace’s core values, and was selected to powder coat the 16,000kg central steel staircase that rises up through the heart of Ace’s HQ, unifying its three cavernous floors.

The complimenting colours that make up the Ace colour palette are directly informed in part by the material palette used in the interior design and build and in part by the colours that are prevalent in and around the Houthavens – Amsterdam’s rejuvenated Western Docklands.