Unifying art installation at Wembley
Copywriting and design for outdoor installation on the Spanish Steps at Wembley Park, Wembley Stadium, London.
Tips, Tricks & Features
During the writing process, countless copy was written on the theme of adversity.
Strength in Numbers was the big hit, but, because the word ‘Strength’ and ‘Numbers’ are long - eight and seven characters each, they didn’t lend themselves to a pleasing aesthetic on the steps.
The task became to find an alternative phrase, with the same meaning, and a shorter letter count.
‘Power in Unity’ was realised and it ticked all the boxes.
The task is done through thinking and writing and editing and thinking writing and editing some more. Eventually, the answer will present itself.
After a successful bid to produce the installation on the Spanish Steps leading up to Wembley Stadium, home to England Football Club, for the duration on Euro 2020 football competition (played in 2021 due to the Covid Pandemic), I was invited to also produce the artwork for all the digital assets surrounding the stadium at the same time.
I was given a brief of Against the Odds to work with, which I used and underpinned with a sense of togetherness. It’s this theme that galvanised a nation of sports people, key works and families across the UK during a very challenging period in our recent history. Together we can rally against the odds.
Metroland write ‘Underpinned by a sense of togetherness, diversity, and hope, Against the Odds was inspired by people uniting in tougher times to stand together for the greater good. A theme Micah Purnell has been looking over through 2020 and 2021, he sought to bring a positive and memorable experience to Wembley Park, creating an ‘Ahhh’ moment through the powerful design.
Micah Purnell Says: “The work follows on from a body of work I produced during lockdown around the theme of community.
All communities had been taken from people, we had to find it someplace else, and that had to be closer to home, heck, we weren’t allowed to go anywhere. But I saw so many acts and moments of kindness and connection, from a generous and heartfelt nod at the park gate, to live music played to elderly neighbours who’ve never met before. The difficulty of Covid had in some way shone a light on local humanity, and I feel this piece’s Bobby Moore Bridge location is the perfect place to remind locals and visitors of the strength of togetherness.”’