Coming into 2024, the Chargers set out to evolve our brand identity— building on the vibrant, sun-soaked colors that have defined us while bringing a new level of intensity. Our signature powder blue and yellow color scheme— symbolizing the sun and clear skies of Southern California have represented the energy of LA and our electric spirit. Nonetheless, as our team continues to grow and develop communities in LA and across the states, we knew we needed a look that better matches the strength, edge and grit that this team possesses.
Aiming to assert the Chargers as a powerhouse in both football and digital design, our goal for this rebrand was to develop a cohesive design aesthetic that integrated our team’s light and bright history with a darker, tougher, football-centric identity. With our new motto, “See the Lightning. Feel the Thunder.”, we introduced a bold visual approach that amplifies our signature colors while layering in a deeper, stormier edge. This new look ensures that every touchpoint—from social media to stadium visuals—balances LA cool with the intensity of the game. Whether it’s on the field or online, the Chargers now look as powerful as we play.
Bringing this rebrand to life required a deep dive into every aspect of our visual identity. For 16 months, we meticulously evaluated our gameday experience, design approach, and overall brand representation. This assessment exposed key challenges—gameday execution lacked consistency, design work lacked strategic direction, and our brand needed a tougher, more football-centric edge.
In response, we developed a cohesive vision encapsulated by “The Sunshine and The Storm.” In collaboration with Zero G, we created a brand guide that houses everything from fonts and color swatches to gradients, design elements, and guidelines, ensuring consistency across all creative executions. This rebrand extended to every aspect of the organization including social media, the website, game presentation, internal materials, and even merchandising. Design touches every element of the Charger organization and the rebrand would be reflected across each department.
Since starting this project we knew the greatest challenge was figuring out how to capture the spirit, history and vibrant culture of SoCal while expressing the intensity of who the Chargers are—aiming for toughness within a cohesive visual direction. Rather than abandon the brightness and energy associated with our powder blue, we cultivated two sides of the brand— the sun and the storm. Moreso, these pillars are not binary design styles but rather we planned for an evolution of design dependent on the time of year or event. As gameday approaches each week in season, one can imagine the storm taking over as we get closer to the game, our look intensifies and darkens. The imagery is still Los Angeles but now the fans can see it in a different light.
Early in the week, stat graphics and practice coverage is lighter, as we get closer to gameday you would see Tune In graphics take on a darker feel. On Monday the palm trees shine under the sun, by Sunday you see them swaying from the storm. By embracing our darker themes as a way to channel intensity—like the energy of gameday—we evolve with them rather than designing in rigid extremes.
The cornerstone of this effort was the creation of a comprehensive brand guide—a North Star for our designers. Created in collaboration with Zero G, we now had consistent and fresh assets, fonts, and traditions. While this guide sets the foundation, we treat it as a living document, allowing for designers to refine and mature with each new project. While this guide defines our brand, ultimately each designer's individuality is still reflected across the work showcased for fans daily.
Launching in July 2025, the reception for this redesign has been tremendous. From social posts to game presentations, fans have embraced the storm. Beyond fan sentiment, social graphics generated over 115 million impressions since the launch six months ago.
In addition to digital media, the design team internally designs merchandise for our Pro Shops with multiple pieces selling out on gameday launches. Preceding the launch of the brand guide, the opportunity to design merchandise in-house was few and far between due to scattered resources and time constraints caused by past inconsistencies. Having a brand guide has empowered our designers to seamlessly incorporate elements across projects, ensuring cohesion and streamlining the creative process. This not only expands possibilities beyond traditional sports design standards but also allows our team to focus on what they do best—creating.
