This work comprises the development of a new visual identity, including a tournament logo and other marks, a typographical system, specific photo treatments, color palette, merchandise branding requirements, and co-branding requirements, in addition to the actual deliverables based on that visual identity.

2023 was the inaugural year and it will be an annual tournament moving forward. Tickets to the event are available for purchase, and merchandise is available for purchase on-site.

The Grant Thornton Invitational was created to demonstrate and show that we believe that barriers are part of the course, but they should never be part of the game. That is why we brought men from the PGA TOUR and women from the LPGA to share the spotlight the accolades and compete on a level playing field in a mixed competition.

The Grant Thornton Invitational was developed in response to deep inequality in viewership and pay between the male golfers of the PGA and the female golfers of the LPGA. PGA players make on average 4.25x more than LPGA players, due in large part to a gulf in viewership between men’s and women’s golf and the resultant ad revenue and sponsorship opportunities. This gap exists despite the incredible talent of female players, who often outperform the men in various aspects of play.

Grant Thornton therefore set out to prove that LPGA golfers are just as exciting, talented, and worthy of celebration as PGA players, and did so by bringing them together in a 3 day mixed competitive team play.

The Grant Thornton Invitational is the only golf tournament to do this, although we hope to be a trailblazer, inspiring others to follow suit. In this spirit, we are also hoping to influence the IOC to consider bringing mixed team play to the 2028 Olympics.

Design-wise, our goal was to create not only a visual identity for this tournament, but a vision with messaging for the future of golf itself.

With the creation of a new distinct tournament, Grant Thornton wanted to develop a visual identity that matched the spirit.

The brief required four key components. A) The logo had to incorporate the Grant Thornton logo. B) The visual identity should feel distinctive, contemporary, and future-thinking. This was in keeping with the innovative spirit of the tournament, and to set it apart from the overwhelmingly traditional visual identities that dominate the creative landscape of most golf tournaments. C) The identity had to stand as a visual showcase of the values of equality and parity that are the cornerstones of the tournament. D) The system needed to be flexible enough to work for the smallest digital banner to massive onsite wall graphics.

There was no specific budget allocation as the creative was developed entirely in-house.

The scale encompassed broadcast, social, advertising, .com platforms, and across all onsite event deliverables.

This is the future of golf, so we started with a logo and trophy that stand out for their sophistication and contemporary design (those elements are very conservative for most tournaments). Our photography only shows golfers in male/female pairs to highlight their equality. And purple dominates the visual identity and the golf course itself: an unusual color for the golf world that made a bold and distinctive statement.

Finally, the jewel of our visual identity. Starting as a pun on the word “parity”, we created the “pair of tees” symbol. It’s made of two golf tees forming an equal sign, creating an immediately and unmistakably recognizable symbol of equality in golf. It’s the perfect visual to encapsulate the values of the tournament, and emphasized when paired with the slogan “Two tours. One competition.”

In-person audience: Corporate clients/prospects attending as guests; local golf fans

Broadcast audience: Golf fans across the U.S.

Our efforts supported two main categories: promoting tournament general attendance and broadcast viewership, and supporting a hospitality experience at the Ritz-Carlton and in exclusive seating areas for VIP Grant Thornton guests.

The logo and the tees were ubiquitous across the full range of our output, which spanned social media, digital ads, websites, collateral, billboards, large-scale branding of the golf course, and hospitality, which included an immersive surprise pop-up shop at guest registration.

Photography was used primarily in digital applications to promote the concept of male/female equality that the tournament stands for, and featured Grant Thornton golfer brand ambassadors. The on-site design was more minimal, focusing on text, our logo, and the pair of tees set against striking backdrops inspired by a deconstructed version of the icon in the Grant Thornton logo. It was all about sending a clear message.

The scale ranged from digital ads to 10x40’ completely branded walls.

The design makes this brand a standout in the golf space. It is striking and stands apart from competitors both in the design elements themselves, and in the fact that those design elements are demonstrative of a set of values. Other golf tournaments are just promoting themselves. This visual identity promotes Grant Thornton and the Grant Thornton Invitational, but also represents a new vision for golf in general, a visual expression of what the sport should and can be. In this way, it strongly meets the goals of the brief.

The tournament itself exceeded all of the quantitative goals set for it, and also dramatically outperformed the PGA tournament that previously occupied its location and time slot in every category. It was a huge qualitative success, too, drawing glowing praise from golfers, media, fans, client guests, and the PGA and LPGA, and winning GolfWeek's 2023 Best New Idea in Golf.