ABOUT

Concept
Chatting in the studio one day, we realised we all spend far too much time behind screens and not enough time mixing with friends across the industry. It felt like something worth fixing. With plenty of football fans in the company and knowing there were plenty more among our peers, we decided to organise a 5-a-side tournament for Manchester’s creative community.

We called it Cup North, a play on ‘Up North’. The inaugural event was open to agencies across the North West, reclaiming a phrase often used dismissively and turning it into something celebratory.

Execution
The logo takes the graphic icon of a football shirt and extends the shoulders to a central point creating a North facing arrow.

Posters featured football nets and balls made from found studio materials, keeping things playful and hands-on. We extended this thinking into the event itself, with details like red and yellow cards styled as Pantone swatches. A final poster marked the winners, using a reworked Clio Awards trophy.

The tournament took place in October 2025, with 35 creatives from across Manchester braving a very wet pitch. Teams from The Chase, Edit and Music, alongside a group of freelancers, competed on the day. Entry fees raised £400 for local charity Lifeshare.

Results
What started as a simple idea quickly proved its worth. The day brought together a wide mix of studios and freelancers who wouldn’t usually get the chance to connect in this way.

Since then, we’ve had a steady stream of interest from teams wanting to take part in 2026. The next tournament is already shaping up to be bigger, potentially drawing in teams from across the Pennines, while keeping the same low-key, social spirit and raising even more for charity.