Studio Blackburn continues its legacy of creating visually captivating UEFA EUROS wallcharts with a unique twist for 2024. This year, they have teamed up with creative production house Nirvana CPH and ingeniously combined their love for football and beer – introducing an exclusive ‘Beer Chart’ to enhance the tournament experience. The wallchart-creating tradition dates back to 1998 when Paul Blackburn was struck by the idea during a print run in Rotterdam for the 1998 Men’s World Cup. “Inspired by the design of Dutch tournament wallcharts,” Creative Director Mark Jones tells us, describing the project’s history, “he wanted to create an alternative to the garish and unattractive designs often produced by the British media.”
This year, a meandering path depicting the event timeline and bright stickers adorn the window of Shoreditch sports bar The Volley, accompanied by an exclusive EURO2024 Pilsner. It marks the merging of a traditional tournament layout with a custom-made beer case, featuring seven collectable beers – brewed in collaboration with Match Day Brewery – each symbolising a different tournament round.
“Like any great idea, it started in the pub,” recalls Jones. “Our wallcharts have always been tangible, and this year, over a pint, we decided beer was the way to go. We approached Nirvana CPH with the idea, and they ran with it, sourcing the beer, finding a venue for the event, creating the net for the box amongst other things.” The ‘Beer Chart’ concept is delightfully straightforward: “If you finish your crate, your team’s done great. One cold beer for every game your team might play at the Euros.” Even for those whose teams don’t make it through, there’s solace in enjoying a cold beer for each round, filling in scores, and relaxing.
When it came to devising the visual direction, Jones explains that the process unfolded organically. “We planned to feature each round of the tournament on a separate beer can,” he says. “With seven rounds, we used seven cans, and quickly realised the space provided offered a creative playground on each label.” As a team effort, the entire studio contributed ideas – “stepping away from the Mac initially, which was refreshing,” – resulting in a bespoke, eclectic and joyful array of hand-drawn lettering and illustrations.
Blackburn spotlights the number ‘24’ for this year’s tournament, alluding to the fact that 2024 features 24 teams. Each iteration of the ’24’ – from beautifully curvaceous calligraphy-style numbers to the über-Deutsch ‘24’ made of bratwurst – is printed in black and white. The cans are fittingly accompanied by a vibrant sheet of stickers with 24 unique designs, paying further homage to each participating nation in the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. “The colourful stickers added a splash of colour to the job, inspired by football badges. Who doesn’t love a sticker?”
The primary typeface used, Union by Radim Peško, is a staple in the studio’s self-initiated projects, chosen for the sans-serif’s versatility. “Not having to choose a new typeface at the start of each project allows other ideas to shine through, a bit Experimental Jetset of us but without the Helvetica.”
“As with any self-initiated project, budget limitations guided our decisions,” notes Jones, highlighting that both time and cost constraints kept the team “focused and reactive,” and adapting to find alternative solutions if something didn’t work. “Every time, we’re amazed we pull it off. This year was particularly challenging as we needed to source the beers, package them, and plan an event, all with the tournament deadline looming. It’s our fault for always leaving it to the last minute. Other than that, everything runs smoothly thanks to Nirvana CPH’s efficiency (special thanks to Craig).” Reflecting on the entire endeavour, much like we imagine England’s men’s team might be feeling right now, Blackburn is proud. “We believe the results are fantastic.”
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