2023 Cycling World Championships

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the global governing body for cycling. In 2023 they will bring together all 13 UCI cycling world championships into one enormous event. And the first-ever host destination will be Glasgow and Scotland. This will be the biggest cycling event the world has ever seen. Glasgow and Scotland will welcome a million spectators. A billion more will watch - and be inspired - around the world. But more than that, this is about leveraging an elite sporting event to inspire nationwide social change. That’s why the event partners - Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling - are capitalising on the opportunity as first-ever hosts to use the cultural force of cycling to inspire lasting transformation. To drive investment in cycling infrastructure and get everybody in Scotland on their bike. Successfully hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will position Scotland as the most incredible cycling nation on Earth. Not just the best place to compete on a bike. But the best place to be on a bike, whoever you are. Our brand strategy was to seamlessly combine the professionalism and credibility of UCI with the character, spirit and welcome of Glasgow and Scotland. The true power of the bike, and the true power of this sporting event, lies in inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to rediscover the pleasure of keeping fit and healthy – socially, mentally, and physically. The UCI part of the logo needed to work in harmony with the host identity. It’s professional and aspirational and represents the stature of this inaugural, global event - the ‘world cup’ of cycling. In contrast, the logo and brand we developed for Glasgow | Scotland 2023 is bold, expressive, inclusive and celebratory. It’s un-corporate, un-stuffy and unpretentious. It’s not a road bike. It’s not a mountain bike. It’s not a BMX bike. It’s everybody’s bike. And giving life to our squiggly bike are the rainbow stripes of the UCI. We created a unique but instantly recognisable destination identity by taking inspirational cues from the freedom, sense of motion and power of a simple marque (made with a single stroke to represent energy and momentum). Our identity reflects the simplest expression of the power of the bike. It is a collaboration of freedom of form, freedom of movement and, ubiquitous in the Scottish psyche, a certain rough edginess often found in its creative output. Both brands work together seamlessly, like a bike and its rider. Scots, particularly Glaswegians, love nothing more than giving things a quirky Scottish title or nickname. From the Squinty Bridge to the Smartie Tube, it’s a show of affection and ownership. So we intentionally seeded the name ‘Squiggly Bike’ to encourage our audience to adopt it as their own. The Squiggly Bike will live on beyond 2023 to become a marker for investment and ambition in Scotland’s ever-expanding cycling culture and community.