CW takes premium design approach to NASCAR Xfinity Series broadcast

The CW’s entry into NASCAR has brought a fresh visual identity to the Xfinity Series, elevating what was historically treated as a second-tier property with a premium design approach that celebrates the sport’s competition with youthful energy.

The network’s new broadcast design, a collaboration between CW’s internal creative team, Two Fresh Creative, Drive Studio and other partners, represents a shift from how the series has been presented.

“We wanted to treat Saturday’s race like it was as good as Sunday,” said Rich Browd, SVP of brand creative at The CW. “Historically, the Xfinity Series felt like an afterthought.”

In the world of NASCAR, the Xfinity Series is the undercard or “support race” for the Cup Series, which is typically on Sunday. The Xfinity Series serves as a development league for upcoming talent, with many teams associated with Cup Series organizations creating a ladder or pipeline.

Browd noted that the overall approach elevates the series by highlighting the quality of racing and what is at stake for many of the young drivers.

The CW’s approach contrasts with how previous broadcast partners have handled the series. For the network, which secured a seven-year deal with NASCAR, the Xfinity Series isn’t an afterthought; it’s the marquee motorsports property of the growing CW Sports portfolio. 

“That’s what made it super cool. You just don’t see Xfinity with this much love,” said Phil Guthrie of Two Fresh Creative. “Having it as the marquee property for CW — they were just pumped.”

The package’s signature element is a glass car that underscores the power and fragility of racing at this level, a metaphor for the delicate balance of risk and reward that defines the Xfinity Series.

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“We wanted to play up the stakes,” Browd explained. “When you’re on a larger racing team, you’re funded in a more healthy way. But these guys, if they crash that car, there’s a chance they may not get the car back on the track for the next race. Money’s not flowing. The high stakes are represented in the glass car. Glass is very brittle, and that glass also made it easy for us to show the power inside the vehicle.”

The package development involved multiple creative partners, with CW’s internal team leading the vision while coordinating with outside agencies on the final execution.

Marcos Vas and Elton Gamez birthed the initial concept boards, which immediately resonated with Browd.

“They hit on everything we were talking about,” he said, noting the premium aesthetic of the concepts. “We wanted to make these guys feel like total rock stars.”

Two Fresh Creative, which had previously worked with The CW on its basketball and football packages, helped bring the NASCAR vision to air, focusing on the wrap-around animation elements of the package, including the car.

“We kind of landed in this moody, sexy environment where we’re building things using the hot sauce color, which is CW’s signature color,” said Guthrie.

Guthrie noted the package works in the “speed factor” along with plenty of atmospherics, such as smoke, trying to set it apart from other broadcasters’ approaches. 

The package notably features a more cinematic presentation by moving from a vertical scoring leaderboard on the side of the screen to a bottom bumper leaderboard. 

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“Putting the bumper at the bottom created this more cinematic experience,” Browd noted. This gives the director more room to let the race unfold, creating a large and clutter-free canvas. The leaderboard acts as the base for the rest of the broadcast, serving as a real-time ticker with multiple variations and configurations. 

Drive Studio worked with The CW on the leaderboard concept along with major pillars of the insert graphics system, including the insert motion theory.

The internal team then took these ideas to develop the final package, which includes a variety of variations for different race scenarios. For example, the bumper can scale up or down (such as during side-by-side commercials) to show only two rows instead of its normal four, or it can convert into a takeover ad for a sponsored placement. 

“You’ll notice in the 2D design theory that we’ve created — where titles come in and out — it’s all based on the track,” noted Browd. “It’s all based on the sport.”

The package has already generated positive feedback from NASCAR fans, particularly on social media platforms like Reddit, where viewers have praised details such as the return of car illustrations in the starting grid graphics.

The NASCAR package is part of The CW’s larger strategy to create cohesion across its sports properties under the CW Sports banner. 

“The deal is seven years, so I’m excited to see how we can continue to push it,” said Browd.

“Being sort of a smaller brand in this space, and me being a brand guy, everything needs to ladder up to the greater good,” Browd explained. “Everything has to work toward that greater goal of brand awareness.”

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This philosophy extends across the other CW Sports properties.

“I think it’s fun and interesting to have each package look similar to feel more of a CW Sports brand presence,” Guthrie said. “It really makes the sports department feel strong.”

Motion Graphics

NASCAR on The CW

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“This is fresh for NASCAR,” Guthrie said. “It’s a statement of, ‘We don’t need to go down the same NASCAR path for every package, let’s try something different.’ This is a pretty bold statement of where NASCAR could go for graphics.”

Project Credits

CW Sports

• Chris Spadaccini, CMO
• Rich Browd, SVP Brand Creative
• Paul Catalano, VP Sports Marketing

Motion Team

• Elton Gamez, Creative Director
• Marcos Vas, Art Direction/Design
• Marty Kossoff, On-Air Graphics Producer
• Lilian Baldorado, Motion Designer
• Catherine Shin, Motion Designer
• Gustavo Santos, 3D Artist/Designer
• Marc Kazlauskas, Art Direction /Motion Design
• Jim DiGiovanni, Motion Designer

Print Team

• Christi Catalpa, Associate Creative Director, Design
• Andy Polack, Sr. Project Manager
• Jake Davies, Graphic Designer
• Kim Beylin, Graphic Designer
• Mykie Rogers, Retoucher
• Roman Weiser, Retoucher
• Christie Hemm Klok, Photographer
• Michael Liu, Photo Supervisor

Agencies

• Two Fresh Creative
• Drive Studio