As part of the transition from Australian Water Polo to Water Polo Australia Ltd, the sport's governing body has embarked on a national rebranding project.

This project has resulted in the development of a new WPAL logo and the state associations have agreed in principle to the rebranding project, are working on establishing revised logos that correspond with the national brand and will roll out their own changes in due course.

The shift has resulted from recommendations made by the Australian Sports Commission and the desire of WPAL to align with the approach taken by other national sporting organisations.

WPAL CEO Chris Harrison said it was an exciting new chapter for the sport

"The new logo and brand was a natural evolution in the transition process to Water Polo Australia Limited," Harrison said.

"Most importantly, these changes have created an opportunity for water polo in Australia to enter a new era and to ensure continued growth and success.

"The logo launch will coincide with the refreshing new look for our website and our social media channels have also been rebranded.

"We should be proud of our brand and new identity and I know I speak for the Board of Water Polo Australia Limited and all of our staff when I say we look forward to working with all of our stakeholders, as we head towards Rio in 2016."

New South Wales Water Polo Inc. has become Water Polo NSW Inc. at the same time as the WPA rebranding. CEO Perry Tzamouranis said his state had already made the necessary changes to relaunch too.

"We have ticked all the boxes and the new name has been registered. Now we are just waiting on the new logo to be trademarked," Tzamouranis said.

"We are pleased to join with Water Polo Australia to launch this fresh new logo and identity."

Western Australian Water Polo CEO Dale Ballantyne said his state was very supportive of the national rebranding project too.

"We understand the national branding angle and we support and agree with the principles of having a national brand identity," Ballantyne said.

"We have the intention of changing over our name and logo. It's been passed at board level and will now be put to our members at our Annual General Meeting in July."
Our new logo - the story behind the concept

WPAL enlisted the services of Southern Design, a reputable design agency, to establish logo and brand concepts. A number of unique designs were produced with the brief focusing on the following key visual elements:

  • The water polo ball
  • Water and waves
  • Movement and motion

The colours were also an important part of the design process with the proposed design aiming to stay true to Water Polo Australia's heritage whilst representing the WPAL brand as strong, contemporary and world class.

Finally, the new logo portrays a strong brand message and, while each person may interpret the WPAL visual identity in his or her own way, the proposed logo successfully achieves this goal.

The final concept achieves all elements outlined in the above design process and will lead to the development of a strong corporate identity for Water Polo Australia Limited. The logo evolved from the concept of the water polo ball, with the circular design clearly representing this visual element along with the other desired elements of water and movement. However, rather than simply incorporating the traditional water polo ball, this design presents these visual elements in a contemporary fashion.

The circular design also represents the evolution of the sport, reflecting WPAL's move into a new chapter and demonstrates the desired unified approach with the circle encompassing all stakeholders - state associations, clubs, supporters, everyone associated with water polo in Australia. The break in the circle signifies a hand holding the water polo ball, portraying the message that WPAL will nurture and develop the sport at all levels, and that the future of the sport is in safe hands.

The five elements featured in the circle represent WPAL's vision to be the best in the world with each of the curves representing the five rings of the Olympic Games. It is a powerful message that signals WPAL's intention to achieve continuous improvement and the ultimate goal of winning Olympic gold.

Finally, in order to assist in the transition to the new corporate insignia, the colours utilised in the design do not stray far from WPAL's heritage as stakeholders become attached to colours and brand identity. Consistency and familiarity have been achieved by incorporating contemporary shades of the former logo colours.

Australian Water Polo