Challenge:
2026 marked a major evolution for Southern Brave.
The move from the established green and black identity to a bold red and blue look, alongside the introduction of #BornBrave, created an opportunity to reintroduce the franchise to the South Coast.
The challenge was bigger than launching a new kit. We needed to make the new identity mean something to supporters - retaining the equity Southern Brave had already built while creating a stronger connection with Southampton, Hampshire and the wider South Coast.
At the same time, we needed to ensure Southern Brave stood out within The Hundred as more than a cricket team: a summer entertainment brand capable of engaging families, younger audiences and casual sports fans.
Our work focused across five core areas:
Strategy & Positioning
Building a clear social and content framework around #BornBrave, aligned with The Hundred while giving Southern Brave its own distinct identity.
Content & Storytelling
Dveloping a video-first content ecosystem spanning players, fans, the South Coast, matchday and repeatable content IP.
Paid Social
Creating targeted campaigns designed to turn awareness and engagement into ticket sales across Southern Brave home fixtures.
Matchday Experience
Ideating content, fan interactions and activations that made the experience extend beyond the cricket itself.
Brand & Design
Translating the new identity consistently across social, campaign creative and the in-stadium experience.
Strategic Execution
Rather than simply applying the new colours across existing channels, we used #BornBrave as the foundation for a wider brand story.
Southampton, the South Coast, the supporters and the people behind the team became part of the identity - helping Southern Brave feel rooted in its region rather than simply being a franchise that plays there.
Entertainment First
The Hundred competes not only with other sports, but with everything a family could choose to do during the summer.
Our strategy therefore extended beyond cricket highlights and player performance. We built content around personality, entertainment, access, fans and the matchday experience, giving audiences more reasons to engage with Southern Brave whether they were passionate cricket supporters or experiencing the competition for the first time.
A Video-First Content Ecosystem
We developed a suite of repeatable content formats that could live throughout the tournament rather than relying solely on reactive match content.
From Brave Unplugged and Brave Story to Brave Eats, Barbershop and fan-led matchday content, each format had a defined role: humanising players, creating entertainment, building emotional connection or showcasing what it feels like to attend a Southern Brave fixture.
Paid Media That Converts Attention
Alongside organic storytelling, we developed a structured paid-social approach designed around the ticket-buying journey.
Creative and targeting were built to move audiences from awareness → consideration → conversion, using the excitement of the Southern Brave experience to drive demand for home fixtures.
Bringing #BornBrave to Life
The new identity needed to work everywhere supporters encountered the franchise.
We created a consistent visual and creative direction across social, paid media, out-of-home, matchday content and the stadium environment, ensuring the red and blue identity became recognisably Southern Brave rather than simply a change of kit.
The result was a joined-up approach where brand, content, marketing and matchday experience all told the same story: a new era of Southern Brave, built around the South Coast and #BornBrave.
