The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) was established by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to protect and promote the sustainability of the top-five divisions of English football for the benefit of fans and local communities.

Introduced following a fan-led review, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the IFR would usher in a ‘stronger, fairer future’ for the game, protecting and promoting the financial resilience of English football while safeguarding its heritage.

This was a challenge we were never going to shy away from, and we were delighted when DCMS engaged us to incept and create the new brand and digital presence for the IFR following a competitive pitch process.

From the outset, we were determined to recognise fans, communities and clubs while remaining authoritative and impartial. The IFR logo perfectly encapsulates our process. After five detailed rounds exploring all creative options, the final design boasts bold typography alongside the iconic football centre-circle markings, where everyone meets in the middle.

We also introduced purposeful flashes of a neutral coral colour to draw attention to key information, working alongside the IFR throughout the process to create an in-depth style guide that can inform and shape the future presence of the brand.

Digitally, we delivered a full website and Content Management System (CMS) that is performance-focused, with additional search engine optimisation (SEO) considerations built in as standard. We also worked with government throughout the build to adhere to their security and accessibility needs.

The IFR brand is authoritative, neutral and flexible, able to connect with football clubs, fans, stakeholders and financial authorities around the globe.

Our attention to detail is present throughout - from the navigation bar to hand-drawn icons, we embedded the IFR brand in every fibre of their assets and website.

Ultimately, we created a timeless brand that will sit alongside renowned organisations such as the Premier League while retaining impartial authority in every detail.

“Agent have done fantastic work in bringing the IFR brand and vision to life.

“The IFR is headquartered in Manchester and we're delighted to be partnering with a locally based agency that offers Agent's level of understanding and expertise.”

“The Independent Football Regulator marks a historic new chapter for football, and we are incredibly proud to be part of it.

“This project builds further on our extensive experience in the government and regulation space. It has been an honour to build on this to create a brand approach for a new regulatory body which represents the country’s most-loved sport.

“We created a timeless and authoritative brand that embeds the values of the IFR across in every detail. Digitally, our team worked to the highest standards of security and accessibility to produce a website to be proud of.

“It was an incredible team effort across our studios, showcasing the best of what we do at Agent.”

Visit the Independent Football Regulator website here.