When they think of branding, most people think of companies. But individuals can have a strong brand too. People with a high-profile public image find it easier to attract attention and appeal to sponsors. This is especially true for athletes in sports with a large TV audience, for example, or athletes in individual sports like long-distance running. One of the latter is Samuel Fitwi, German champion in cross-country running in 2020 and national record holder in the five-kilometer road race.

Brand and design agency Peter Schmidt Group has developed a visual identity for Fitwi that alludes to his Eritrean birthplace while radiating optimism and enthusiasm. This is a direct reflection of Fitwi's fascinating personal story, which proves that ambitious athletic goals can be achieved without having gone through junior teams or benefiting from sponsorship. After fleeing Eritrea in 2018, he rather accidentally discovered the sport of running – and now the 25-year-old is one of Germany's best track and field athletes. He and the designers found each other through mutual acquaintances at a sports club.  The chance meeting quickly developed into a project that has grown close the designers' hearts.

“The red of the Tartan track and the triangular pattern of the Eritrean flag combine to create a visual identity that is as personal as it is striking,” said creative director Sven Rieckmann. The design system is concise, but at the same time robust and easy to use. “For things like posts on social media or maintaining his personal website, it was important to us for Samu and his team to be able to apply the design easily and use it flexibly.” The creative team at Peter Schmidt Group also came up with the brand motto: “Easy going forward.” Rieckmann explained, “From the very beginning, we got to know Samuel Fitwi as an optimistic person who was never negative and always cheerful. That's what we wanted the design to express. We didn't want to tell a refugee story, we wanted it to be fun.” Ruediger Goetz, managing director at Peter Schmidt Group, added, “Design is certainly not the panacea for all social challenges. But it can be a lever for giving greater visibility to outstanding personalities and the ideals and dreams.”

For his part, Samuel Fitwi is enthusiastic about the agency's work and is already using the new design at events and on digital media. “It was important to me to remain authentic – and I quickly realized that Sven and his team at Peter Schmidt Group have a good feel for this. Probably because they are just as passionate about sports as I am.”