Boxing Ireland has unveiled a new brand identity and campaign, “Built Different”, marking a significant moment in the sport’s evolution as it seeks to modernise its image while retaining its deep cultural roots.
We played the ‘hero’ content piece about the new look and feel, voiced by Liam Neeson, as a prelude to welcoming Boxing Ireland CEO Gary Stewart to the stage.
Founded in 1911, Boxing Ireland is Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport, producing world-class athletes including Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington. Stewart said the new identity is designed to reflect not just elite success, but the deeper purpose of the sport at the grassroots level.
“Boxing isn’t just about medals,” Stewart said. “It’s about the clubs that open at six in the morning, the volunteers who give kids a chance, and the life skills that are built day after day.”
The “Built Different” campaign, designed by Branding Sport, places character, resilience and community at the centre of boxing’s story, positioning the sport as a powerful social force and a high-performance pathway.
Stewart acknowledged that changing a historic identity can be sensitive, but said feedback since launch has been overwhelmingly positive.
“There’s a perception that boxing doesn’t want to change,” he said. “That hasn’t been my experience at all. The appetite to move forward is very real.”
The launch coincided with the Elite National Championships, where newly crowned champion Jude Gallagher joined Stewart on stage to reflect on his journey from first walking into a boxing club at the age of eight to standing atop the national podium.
Gallagher spoke about drawing motivation from that early experience during demanding training camps and high-pressure moments in competition, embodying the values at the heart of the new campaign.
Stewart said one of the key ambitions of the rebrand is to broaden boxing’s commercial appeal by clearly articulating its societal impact.
“Globally, Irish boxing has an incredible reputation,” he said. “Our task now is to ensure that the story of what boxing gives back — to communities, to young people, to Irish sport — is understood just as clearly at home.”
With strong participation numbers, a proven Olympic pathway and renewed clarity of purpose, Stewart said Boxing Ireland is positioning itself for sustainable growth both inside and outside the ring.
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Image Credit: Sport for Business, Ryan Byrne, Inpho.ie
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