You’ve probably seen the eye everywhere. But have you ever considered why?
The eye has become synonymous with PARK. Brought to life by the original PARK ball, the eye now forms a fundamental part of our visual language, and can be found on all our gear - from caps and shirts, to our flags.
And we’re sure there are many questions about the eye that have gone unanswered.
Like, where did it come from?
What does it mean?
Why?
So I’ve taken it upon myself to go on behalf of the PARK community, and find out.
Sam, Co-founder and Creative Director of PARK, admits that the eye - like all good things - struck him as a moment of inspiration out of the blue.
“When I started designing the panels for the original ball, for some reason, I just started drawing eyes. The first thing I drew was a boot with an eye at the top of it. Then I just started putting the eye into different shapes.
“I’m not too sure but it just felt like it was the right thing to draw.”
Seems a little convenient right? A moment of compelling inspiration?
There must be more to the story here Sam!
But don’t worry, I pressed him further and I think you’ll be happy with what I found out.
The eye spoke to Sam’s original desire for creating PARK, he wanted to see a brand that stood for something and demanded change; an ethos that forms the foundation of PARK to this day.
“I believe the eye was an internal, subconscious effort to remind everyone that we all have the ability to see. To not only see imbalance and injustice in our world but to see a way forward, an answer, a solution.
“We are all capable of that.”
The eye has become a symbol for our movement. The wider visual language of PARK - the patterns, doodles, zig zags - have all expanded from the eye. It also serves as a reminder of why we come together at PARK; that soccer can change the world.
“The eye felt really tribal. It had something slightly odd about it, which felt good and different. That is, different from everything else in the football space.
“To me, it symbolised that football, the sport in and of itself, can create change if it chooses so.”
So, there you have it.
At the beginning it may have been a random moment of compelling inspiration, but the PARK eye is really a motif in our collective story, a call to action.
It is an open eye that demands we all take a look.
Not a peek.
But a look.
That seeing is a choice.
And the eye reminds us that with our unique perception, we can make a change if we so choose.
