Founded by Les Hewitt, international bestselling author of The Power of Focus series, KICKON is a five-day transformational experience designed for 16–21 year olds. Using the universal language of soccer as a catalyst, the program equips young people with five essential life skills: Awareness, Focus, Relationships, Routines, and Resourcefulness.

For many participants — especially newcomers to Canada — the program is more than sport. It is a pathway to belonging, helping them navigate new schools, languages, and communities while finding confidence in a shared game.

Challenge

The Academy needed a brand identity that could embody both the energy of sport and the resilience of transformation. It had to feel accessible to young people, but also signal credibility to partners and stakeholders.

The design challenge was to:

• Express growth and renewal in a way that resonates across cultures.
• Capture the dual nature of KICKON: sport as play, but also sport as life training.
• Build a visual system flexible enough for use across events, apparel, and digital touchpoints.

Strategy

Through Zarura’s Brand Operating System (BOS) lens, we sought to capture the Academy’s essence: resilience, rebirth, and the optimism of new beginnings.

Core Symbol:
The identity draws from the phoenix and the rising sun — universal symbols of resilience and renewal. Together, they reflect the journey of young people finding strength, purpose, and momentum through KICKON.

Visual Language:
A bold, energetic system designed to scale from grassroots events to digital platforms, carrying consistency while leaving room for cultural expression.

Youth Resonance:
Colours, shapes, and motion treatments were chosen to feel vibrant and aspirational, ensuring the brand speaks directly to its young audience.

Outcome

The result is a dynamic identity that embodies resilience and possibility. More than a logo, the phoenix-sun mark acts as a rallying symbol for young people rising into their potential — empowered by the Academy’s programs.

KICKON now carries a visual identity that is both universal and deeply human: rooted in sport, but transcending it to tell a story of transformation.