From Pong to the future of esports
Client
Gaming Hall Of Fame
Country
United States
Disciplines
Brand Identity
Sector
Entertainment
Gaming Hall of Fame is an online platform created for organised multiplayer video-game competitions, bringing together professional players, teams and audiences within the rapidly growing world of esports. Entering a crowded market of established platforms and highly engaged communities, the brand needed a distinctive presence capable of earning recognition quickly.
The brief
Gaming Hall of Fame asked BakerWilcox to create a complete brand identity for its new esports platform. The commission included the logo and wider visual system, together with launch communications and branded applications designed to introduce the platform to players, teams and gaming audiences.
BakerWilcox understood the competitive gaming landscape and created an identity that was distinctive, memorable and built to work across every platform. The result gave Gaming Hall of Fame a strong visual foundation and the confidence to stand out in a crowded market.
CEOGaming Hall of Fame
The execution
The identity needed to be simple enough to register instantly while possessing the confidence to compete in a visually intense and rapidly evolving sector. We looked back to one of gaming’s defining origins for inspiration, drawing on the stark geometry and cultural significance of Atari’s Pong, released in 1972.
The resulting symbol reduces the exchange between two players and a ball to a minimal graphic form. Its symmetry, proportion and strong silhouette make it immediately recognisable, while the reference to early gaming gives the identity a sense of authenticity and heritage without relying on nostalgia.
A restrained black-and-white palette allowed the mark to remain clear across digital platforms, merchandise and large-scale advertising. The simplicity of the core identity also created room for bold campaign messaging, allowing teaser graphics and launch communications to build intrigue without competing with the logo.
The visual system was extended across business cards, digital advertising, billboards, clothing and promotional merchandise. From compact screen applications to prominent outdoor placements in cities including London, Los Angeles and New York, the identity retained its clarity and impact.
The result was a flexible and memorable identity that connected the earliest language of video gaming with the scale and ambition of modern esports.
Gaming is an industry driven by constant reinvention, but its earliest visual language remains extraordinarily powerful. By returning to the elegant simplicity of Pong, we found an idea that felt both historically grounded and entirely relevant to contemporary esports. The challenge was knowing when to stop: remove one more element and the meaning disappears; add one more and the impact is diluted.
RICHARD BAKER
A number of outdoor campaigns were created for the brand
