Gothic Roots and Living History, Reimagined
Designing a new typeface for an institution with more than a century of history means balancing nostalgia with a progressive voice. Rudnick and Bruneau explored Arsenal’s extensive visual archive and drew out its strongest identities. Their direct inspiration came from the club’s historic Gothic lettering and its old crest bearing the Latin motto Victoria Concordia Crescit.
The designers avoided cheap nostalgia and the mechanical copying of old printed matter. Instead, they reworked historic proportions into a contemporary modular system. The typeface sits alongside the club’s existing marks while opening the door to a much broader creative expression. It gives Arsenal a natural way to communicate across fashion, music, art and streetwear, where conventional sports typography often falls short.
A Line Connecting the Community and the Map
The most distinctive feature of the typeface’s main weight is a continuous horizontal line running through the centre of each letter. It is more than an aesthetic flourish; it carries a deeper meaning, representing the bond that connects Arsenal supporters across London and around the world.
The line also points to two important geographical journeys that shaped the club and the player. One is Arsenal’s historic move from Woolwich in south London to the north of the city. The other is David Rocastle’s own journey: he grew up in south London and became an icon at Highbury. The typeface contains a map and timeline of the club, written directly into the construction of its alphabet.
A Standalone A as a New Identity Symbol
Alongside the alphabet, the club introduced a new standalone symbol called “The Capital”. It is a striking letter A that complements the existing crest and acts as a flexible graphic element within the wider design ecosystem. The letter has enough visual force to stand on its own across clothing, accessories and digital platforms, without needing the full crest beside it.
As Johnnie Campbell, who leads Arsenal’s creative studio, explained, the aim was to capture the best of the club and turn David Rocastle’s legacy into something that would make fans proud. The club is drawing on more than a century of visual history to create a language that moves the brand forward without losing touch with its roots.
David Rudnick says the goal was to create a system no other club in the world could have. He wanted a form that felt completely fresh, yet somehow as though it had always been part of the club. Rocastle’s legacy was, for him, the strongest expression of Arsenal’s enduring values, giving the project a clear direction.
A Long-Term Strategy and a Conversation with the Community
The Rocastle typeface is part of a broader strategy in which Arsenal actively brings its community and visual creators into building its identity. The club has long been more than a sports team playing for 90 minutes at the weekend. It is becoming a cultural platform that influences aesthetics on the street and in galleries.
A successful custom typeface shows the power of thoughtful typography in the hands of a designer who understands context. You don’t need visual clichés or to copy the latest micro-trends from social media. Bring together a genuine human story, local history and uncompromising typographic craft, and you can create work that will outlast generations of fans.
