Onderdak: een nieuw dak voor het Onderduikmuseum

During the first lockdown in 2020, Rotterdam Sportsupport asked Mothership to create a symbol of support for sports clubs and their volunteers, whose activities had come to a halt due to Covid-19. This request evolved into a broader initiative aimed at strengthening the city’s community spirit.

Sportsupport had long used the captain’s armband as a symbol of leadership, commitment, and unity. Mothership translated this into a guerrilla-style action in which statues and city icons were adorned with a newly designed captain’s band. The design — featuring the Rotterdam coat of arms and the motto Sterker door strijd (“Stronger through struggle”) — was created by artist Arno Coenen and quickly went viral on social media. Mothership took charge of concept development, coordination, and execution.

In December 2020, during the canceled Sportsupport Congress, the Euromast was wrapped with a massive captain’s band, becoming a visible beacon of unity and resilience.

The collaboration continued in 2021 during the 40th edition of the Rotterdam Marathon on October 24. Mothership designed a 14-by-30-meter banner for the Green Stand, Rotterdam Sportsupport’s headquarters along the marathon route. At the same time, 40 runners ran on treadmills on the rooftop — a tribute to the event’s anniversary and the farewell of the organization’s director. These bold visual gestures brought Sportsupport’s message to life: celebrating the power of sport, the spirit of leadership, and the enduring sense of connection within the city.