Athletes can earn millions through sponsorship contracts and advertising appearances, but this only applies to sports with a large TV audience. Individual athletes, such as long-distance runner Samuel Fitwi, have a hard time. With branding, the Peter Schmidt Group is now ensuring visibility and differentiation for this exceptional athlete.
The whole world is currently watching the Olympics, but beyond such major events, most athletes find it difficult to finance themselves and their sport. The Peter Schmidt Group is therefore now supporting the German cross-country champion and 5-kilometre road running record holder with its own branding. Samuel Fitwi fled Eritrea in 2018 and came to running by chance. He and the designers came together through personal contacts in the club, which is how the creative project of the heart developed.
"The red of the tartan track and the triangular pattern of the Eritrean flag combine to create an appearance that is as personal as it is striking," explains Creative Director Sven Rieckmann. The design system is concise, but at the same time deliberately robust and easy to use: "Whether it's posts on social media or maintaining your own website: it was important to us that Samu and his team can easily apply the design and use it flexibly." The creative team at the Peter Schmidt Group also developed the motto "Easy going forward". Rieckmann: "Right from the start, we got to know Samuel Fitwi as an optimistic, never dogged and always cheerful person. That's exactly what we wanted the design to express. It shouldn't be an escape story, but should convey fun." Ruediger Goetz, Managing Director of the Peter Schmidt Group, also emphasizes: "Design is certainly not the panacea for all social challenges. But it can be a lever for giving visibility to great personalities and their ideals and dreams."
Samuel Fitwi is also delighted with the result of the work and is already using the new design at events and in digital media: "It was important for me to remain authentic - and I quickly realized that Sven and his team from the Peter Schmidt Group have a good feel for this. Probably also because they are just as passionate about sport as I am."
About Samuel Fitwi:
Samuel Fitwi(www.samuelfitwi.com) is one of Germany's best track and field athletes: he was born in Eritrea in 1996 and has been living in Germany since 2018 after fleeing for two years. He found running by chance in his new home country and competes in long-distance races for LG Vulkaneifel. In 2020, he became German champion in cross-country running (long distance) and German record holder in road running over 5 kilometers. Fitwi holds the German records in road running over 10 kilometers, half marathon and marathon.
About the Peter Schmidt Group:
The Peter Schmidt Group is Germany's top-selling brand and design agency and part of the BBDO Group Germany. From its offices in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Munich and Tokyo, it guides brands on the path of change: it combines meaningful ideas with a fascination for design to create solutions that work immediately and bring joy. The Peter Schmidt Group is the lead agency for the corporate design of Deutsche Bahn and Mercedes-Benz as well as the international lead design agency for Nivea.
