As preparations began for the FIFA World Cup 2026, one of the host venues in the United States found itself in an unusual situation.
Under FIFA’s commercial regulations, host stadiums are required to remove or conceal the branding of companies that are not official tournament sponsors. As a result, Levi’s Stadium in California had to temporarily cover its branding and operate under a different name during the tournament.
At first glance, this appeared to be a straightforward compliance exercise. But something unexpected happened.
Even after the Levi’s name was hidden, people instantly recognised the brand. Social media users quickly pointed out that the familiar visual identity associated with Levi’s remained recognisable. What was intended to reduce brand visibility ended up generating even more discussion about the brand.
For entrepreneurs, this incident offers a valuable lesson.
Many business owners believe branding begins with choosing a name and ends with obtaining a trademark registration. While a brand name is undoubtedly important, customers rarely remember a business based solely on its name. In reality, people often recognise brands through a combination of visual and emotional cues that have been consistently presented over time.
Think about the brands you encounter every day. Often, you recognise them before reading the name. A particular packaging style, a familiar colour combination, a distinctive logo, a recurring tagline, a product shape or even a unique store experience can instantly signal the source of a product or service. That is exactly what happened in the Levi’s case.
People did not need to see the word ‘Levi’s’ to identify the brand. Years of consistent branding had created a strong association between certain visual elements and the company itself. The brand had become recognisable beyond its name.
This is where many growing businesses make a mistake.
When entrepreneurs think about brand protection, they often focus exclusively on registering the business name. However, as the business grows, customers may begin associating the brand with many other elements. The packaging may become recognisable. The logo may gain independent value. The product presentation may become distinctive. A tagline may become memorable. In some cases, even a particular design style becomes synonymous with the business.
These assets contribute significantly to brand value, yet they are often overlooked when businesses think about intellectual property.
Large brands understand this well. They rarely rely on a single trademark registration. Instead, they build a portfolio of protected brand assets. The brand name may be one part of that portfolio, but it is often accompanied by logos, taglines, packaging designs, labels, visual identities and other distinctive features that customers associate with the business.
The reason is simple: competitors do not always copy the brand name. More often, they imitate the elements that influence customer perception. Similar packaging, colour schemes, design styles or visual cues can create confusion in the market even when the names themselves are different.
In my experience as a trademark consultant, many businesses underestimate the value of these supporting brand assets. They invest considerable time and money in creating a unique market identity but take legal protection seriously only when it comes to the name. By then, some of the most valuable elements of the brand may already be vulnerable. The FIFA-Levi’s story reminds us that true brand strength goes beyond words.
A strong brand is one that customers recognise even when the name is hidden. For entrepreneurs, this raises an important question: if your company name disappeared from your product, website, packaging or storefront today, would customers still recognise your brand?
If the answer is yes, you have created valuable brand assets. And if those assets contribute to your business identity, they deserve attention, investment and protection just as much as the brand name itself.
After all, a trademark registration may protect a name. But a thoughtfully developed trademark portfolio helps protect the entire brand.
(The author is a business and brand consultant and a registered trade marks agent.)
