After successfully rolling out the Independent Football Regulator (IFR)’s new brand identity and digital presence in 2025, we were selected to work with IFR for their 2026 State of the Game Report. In a complex and divisive time for English football, the report explains the many financial trials facing English football along with the impact on communities, both at home and away.

Working closely with IFR, we set out to transform a complex set of financial, political and commercial information into something informative and accessible for all.

IFR and its stakeholders wanted to enhance the strong existing brand guidelines, creating a fresh and accessible report.

We introduced a new secondary colour palette to the brand, allowing us to easily differentiate between various sections of the report. The refreshed palette ensured the impact of graphs, diagrams and statistics was enhanced further.

Our team also included subtle nods to the game throughout, for example line systems that mimic pitch lines and iconography throughout, such as scarves and free-kick dummies.

We also recommended that the report was also designed into a microsite, allowing us to make it available as an interactive story-telling experience. In this readable, digital format we included more thoughtful nods to football, such as 11-sections of the microsite, mirroring the 11-man starting line-up.

The work of IFR and Agent resulted in a clean, modern, comprehensive 245-page document. This was also made available as a high-quality, sustainable print and digital pdf, a 32-page press report and a sleek, user-friendly microsite.

MPs and leaders in football alike have commented on how understandable and accessible the report is. There were 6000+ visits to the microsite within the first day of being live - a clear, early testament to its wide reach.

The national and international impact of the report shows its impact, with media coverage spanning Sky Sports News, talkSPORT, the guardian, Channel 4 News, Reuters, the Financial Times and The Independent.

Agent Senior Client Partner, George Barnes, said:

“We're incredibly proud to have worked with the Independent Football Regulator on a project with such national significance.

“This was about much more than producing a single report. It required us to draw on expertise from across the agency to deliver multiple formats, each with a distinct purpose, while maintaining a consistent identity and clear narrative throughout.

We are delighted to have played a part in bringing it to life and helping its findings reach audiences across the country.”