Serving up some new merch designs for Tennis World
Jun 30, 2025
Heading into 2025 Tennis World were looking for some new merch designs for their members. Rather than a full rebrand for their athleisure range, they wanted to bring back elements from their much-loved vintage logo specifically for merchandise.
The Brief
The challenge was creating designs that would tap into nostalgia while working effectively on modern clothing. They needed two variations; one for Tennis World (established 1986) and another for their Padel Club Middlesbrough (established 2018). In addition to th character designs we’d also experiment with some equipment and sport-symbology based designs too, ensuring no stone was left unturned.
Design Approach
I focused on the elements that made the original logo memorable – the background tennis ball, silhouetted figure, and established heritage feel. The goal wasn’t to completely redesign, but to create a loving update that would provide recognisable impact on their athleisure wear.
For the Padel Club variation, I used red and blue to differentiate it while maintaining the same retro structure. Both designs needed to feel like proper throwbacks that would resonate with current and former members.
The Result
The feedback was spot on: “Peter was fantastic to work with. He understood exactly what we wanted in creating a new logo for our athleisure wear… He kept up with the (quite a lot of) changes in ideas from the initial meeting & was always available to discuss the outcome, with brilliant on time delivery.”
Seeing the designs printed up and ready for the community to choose from was really satisfying. Sometimes the best projects are about giving people something they genuinely want to wear – a way to show their connection to a place that’s been part of Middlesbrough for decades.
All in all it’s a design I’m rather proud of, and happy to add to my growing project portfolio.
Whether you’re working on merchandise design, branding, or retro-inspired projects, let’s talk.