William Hill - Brand
William Hill is one of the most recognised names in global sports betting, backed by a rich heritage spanning nearly a century. Facing an increasingly crowded marketplace, they needed a comprehensive brand refresh to modernise their presence across both digital platforms and physical venues while setting them apart from flashier competitors. Although the original brief requested a complete logo redesign, our research revealed that the existing mark carried immense brand equity and historical weight. We advocated for strategic restraint, convincing the client to retain the core mark while executing an optimisation pass—tidying up its geometry and curves so the iconic word mark rendered crisply on modern, high-density screens and physical signage.
With the core logo anchored, we created a flexible visual identity system to bring structure and consistency to all future communications. We refined their primary deep navy background palette and introduced high-contrast gold modules and grid layouts to clearly present live odds, price boosts, and promotional mechanics. To unify their voice across all platforms, we established a clear typographic hierarchy anchored by a custom font weight, WH Hoxton, ensuring immediate legibility for fast-moving sports updates.
A major challenge of the brief was navigating strict advertising legislation, which prohibited showing recognisable sports teams, branded kit logos, or prominent player faces in promotional media. This had previously trapped the brand in a loop of bland, generic stock photography. To overcome this, we developed a distinctive imagery strategy focused on "micro-moments" and tight crops. By centering on visceral, unbranded details, a goalkeeper stretching for a top-corner save, hands fighting for a rugby line out, horses' hooves striking the turf, or nervous fans in top hats watching through binoculars, we captured the raw, authentic emotion of live sport without breaching legal regulations.
Finally, we consolidated these elements into a comprehensive set of brand guidelines to govern all future production. The resulting framework was engineered to scale seamlessly across every consumer touchpoint, ranging from an updated app, social media stories, and online banners to OOH billboards, press and retail store signage and posters. By respecting William Hill’s heritage rather than replacing it, we delivered an authoritative, modern design system that reinstated their position as a premium leader in sports betting.
Agency: T&P
ROLE: LEAD Designer
Head of Design: DAN HOWARTH
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Johann Schwella
Retouching: RICHARD PALMER
