Fuel Your Passion

Read the campaign story

Eurosport introduced Fuel Your Passion with its new on-air identity on 13 November 2015. The launch included a social invitation for fans to share stories. Pentagram documents its identity role alongside strategic consultant Federico Gaggio and DixonBaxi’s on-air and advertising work. These connected expressions are grouped as one launch platform.

The sources discuss a changing business and broader programming ambitions, but those developments cannot be attributed to the new identity. Existing ratings or rights acquisitions are not campaign outcomes. This case focuses on the communication problem of making a broadcaster’s role coherent while inviting audience contributions, with no assumption that a hashtag itself creates a durable community or improves the viewing service.

Editorial interpretation: a broadcaster can define itself through the relationship it supports rather than through a list of rights. Fan stories provide concrete examples of why the service matters in daily life. The invitation still needs a purpose beyond collecting enthusiastic testimonials. Contributors should understand what will happen to their material, and audiences should find something useful or recognisable in the resulting collection rather than only a display of brand approval.

Editorial interpretation: identity work and participation design operate at different levels. A visual system helps people recognise the organisation across contexts; a contribution prompt helps them decide whether and how to take part. Neither substitutes for the other. A coherent campaign aligns them while preserving clear practical information about the service, including what is actually available in a particular place or through a particular access route.

Give the contribution prompt a useful boundary

Ask for a specific, low-risk story rather than an unlimited demonstration of devotion. Explain the intended audience, moderation process and reuse options. Do not reward extreme behaviour, excessive spending or personal sacrifice as the standard of a real fan. A small, ordinary observation may reveal more about the audience’s needs than a dramatic performance designed to win public attention.

Keep the identity system functional across contexts

Test recognition and readability on small screens, programme cards and plain information pages. A refreshed mark should help people orient themselves, not simply look more contemporary in a presentation. Preserve a clear relationship between the parent brand and individual offers. Where availability varies, make those differences explicit rather than allowing a unified visual language to imply that every viewer receives the same service.

Separate participation from service outcomes

Count submitted stories, publication permissions, comprehension and actual service use as different observations. A highly active response may come from existing enthusiasts rather than newly reached viewers. Review whether the campaign provides value to people who do not contribute publicly. The audience should be able to benefit from better information or relevant stories without being required to perform loyalty for the brand.

A small test for another brief

Proposed adaptation: design a fictional local events bulletin with a refreshed identity and an optional prompt asking adults to describe one small habit that helps them enjoy community events.

Measure recognition of the bulletin, understanding of its offer and willingness to contribute under clearly explained terms. Compare a broad enthusiasm prompt with a bounded ordinary-habit question. Inspect whether the resulting stories help readers discover useful information, rather than assuming submission volume demonstrates a stronger community.

Stop if participation encourages risky devotion, obscures reuse permission or makes the service appear more widely available than the information supports.

• Collect no sensitive information or proof of spending.
• Offer private submission and explicit publication choices.
• Use invented event listings with clear access details.