NSF Racing Team – FEELINGS NONSTOP
Why we sponsor an amateur cycling team
Espresso in, slip into the bib shorts, clicked in, allez, allez - just your thing? Mine too! More people are currently getting on their bikes than ever before, which makes me personally particularly happy - the more, the merrier. Because where many people cycle, the infrastructure for cycling will also be better developed at some point - and we still have a lot of room for improvement pretty much everywhere in Germany. This is one of the many reasons why it is worth devoting special attention to cycling and cycling as a sport in particular.
As co-founder and managing director of g31, my day-to-day work now mainly involves management, communication and organization, rather than the actual design process itself. So when I was given the opportunity to help found a cycling team, I saw my chance to combine the pleasant with the useful. Good communication in a sports context has always been an area we are passionate about at g31. The prospect of once again being able to let off steam creatively beyond specific to-do's and customer requirements did the rest (incidentally, this is also how the project and my voluntary work for Rund um die Kö came about).
So it quickly became clear that we didn't just want to print our logo on the jerseys as a traditional sponsor, but wanted to help shape the identity of the cycling team right from the start. And where do you start? Of course: with a catchy name: “NONSTOP FEELINGS Racing Team”. The name not only describes pretty much exactly the experience that probably everyone knows who has ever tried to go faster than 50 km/h on two wheels without a motor. It also has its origins in individual events organized by our agency. For example, we have already sent out various New Year's greetings under the same motto - what a welcome coincidence.
At g31 - just like in cycling - we always achieve the best results as a team. That's why it quickly became clear that my esteemed colleague, good friend, gravel fan and g31 freelancer Patrick Mariathasan would be an ideal addition to the design development team. Together we set out to find the perfect look for the 14 men and women on the team, who compete in road and gravel racing. Our aim was to showcase the team's vision - to rethink cycling in a new and inclusive way - in the most visually original and unseen way possible. The new Team Kit 2025 subtly references different facets of cycling and celebrates their diversity. In the same spirit, we have gradually built up a small but fine brand world around the team over the last two years.
For us as a sponsor, this was a great opportunity to showcase our agency brand - without using our own logo. NSF reflects similar skills that we also need as a design agency to bring projects to a successful conclusion: strategic vision, perseverance and teamwork. Our design is present at every race, every training camp and in every report. This creates a pleasantly informal presence in a context in which we would like to work more often in the future: sports communication.
If you want to reach people today, you have to be credible. Sports sponsorship also works particularly well for many brands because it tells real stories: of training successes, setbacks, team cohesion. But even beyond competitive sport, we are noticing an increasing need for “real communities” in which people come together in an analog space and get involved - beyond social media and digital illusory worlds.
As I passed my sporting zenith a few years ago, I am also involved as team manager at NONSTOP FEELINGS in addition to the creative sponsorship part - unfortunately I don't have enough time for more. Especially in sports like cycling, which have notorious problems with young talent, I think sponsorship is essential. Through our commitment, we hope to help pave the way for young talent - and set a small example of social responsibility.
For us, our involvement in cycling is not just a pure advertising measure, but a symbiosis of equals - with a team that lives and carries on our values. This makes our sponsorship not only worthwhile, but also meaningful.
Photos by: Hanniel Hu, van doorn media and Kevin Kaup
Illustration: Patrick Mariathasan
Image Video by: van doorn media
Team Website: nonstopfeelings.cc
