Mixed Martial Arts – better know to its fans as MMA – is a sport that is rapidly gaining popularity. Training gyms are now attended by a growing number of people, and shows are being watched by an ever-increasing public. The phenomenon has been on the increase not only in the USA, where the promotion of Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) breaks record after record, but across the world as well. In Romania, while the phenomenon is still in its early days, there are still a number of strong clubs. And the brand with the most developed identity in this micro-universe is Lupii Albastri (the Blue Wolves).

The training that takes place in the gym is coordinated by Liviu Ionescu, the head coach and the heart and soul of the Blue Wolves club. While Liviu started practicing martial arts in his adolescence, his initiation into the world of MMA occurred over ten years ago. The most important titles in his competitive career are World Champion of Kempo MMA and European Vice-Champion in Sambo Kombat. Besides this, all three professional matches he has taken part in were victories.  

In time, with patience and dedication, students master striking techniques with their arms and legs, throws and procedures for ground combat. They become faster, more powerful and have more energy. And the benefits go beyond physical performance. After years of training, practitioners are able to concentrate better and, not surprisingly, gain in self-confidence. ‘My goal isn’t limited to creating champions in the gym. The task I set out to achieve is for my students to become better human beings from all viewpoints.’ Liviu’s vision is perfectly summarized in these two sentences, and the brand that we created had to provide a visual representation that would convey this attitude. 

The symbol in the logo contains a double reference. It alludes to the Dacian wolf, the battle standard of the people that lived in the territory that constitutes modern-day Romania, and the Asian dragon, a symbolic element frequently used in the imagery of the cultures that created martial arts. It can be said that it is solemn, without being violent or threatening.

The photographic style is a principal ingredient in the visual story of this brand. The idea conveyed by every image used in Lupii Albastri’s communications is that of the skill. This is regardless of whether it represents a particular strike, a hold or the pose of a fighter. The small depth of field and the powerful contrast of the black and white images accentuate the dynamics and the theatricality of each image, rendering them more convincing.