The logo that a sports team has is an essential part of its identity. It is the ultimate visual symbol of the team and is as crucial to its brand as the team colours.
Logos in this fast-paced modern world are often adapted or completely changed to ensure that they continue to resonate with consumers. That is fine for most industries, but it can sometimes cause controversy in sports.
That is because of the emotional, tribal connection that people feel to their favourite sports teams – and the way team logos become representations of that. They are sometimes changed, though, and this article will look at why teams opt to do so in the face of opposition.
The Importance of Sporting Logos
A sports team’s logo, which appears on the players’ shirts, is more than just an attractive piece of design. In the big-money world of contemporary sports, it is a way to help sell the team’s brand around the globe.
These logos will feature prominently across the various marketing channels that make up sports teams’ promotional strategies today. People come to know the top sports teams through their official club logos, just as they do through the colours they wear.
That is the slightly unromantic reality of the sporting industry today, and it applies to every major league—from the NFL to the English Premier League. Marketing is about staying contemporary and relevant, but sports teams must now connect with audiences in different countries and cultures, too.
It is the way things are for most industries in our globalized world, and it is why clubs will now alter their logos—or create completely new ones—if they feel that they have become old-fashioned.
Other industries, like finance or online gambling, can do that without any problems. It is a bit more difficult for sports teams, though, because their logos are not just pieces of design for branding purposes.
History and Traditions
Fans of sports teams are often sensitive to their clubs’ plans to change their logos. Over the years, these logos have become central to the identity of the club and its supporters, as well as focal points for loyalty and community.
The logos usually feature symbolism relevant to the club’s history. Clubs that attempt to adapt and modernize the logos fail to appreciate this and come up with new designs that lack that historical and emotional resonance for fans.
Adapting sports team logos or devising fresh ones is fraught with risk. The team owners have to weigh fan feelings against promotional needs, though, which is why they do it.
An example of the difficulties that can ensue is what happened when the English soccer team Everton tried to change the club logo a decade ago. The aim was to simplify it for online marketing purposes, but fans were outraged at what they viewed as a cheap and crude new design lacking the old logo’s essential features.
Missing elements included the club motto in Latin. Ultimately, a compromise was achieved following fan protest. The logo was slightly simplified but retained parts that were important to the supporters. Let us look at other teams that have changed their logos:
Another soccer club within the EPL is Manchester City; this team underwent a radical logo change in 2016. City had just started to become a major force in European football, edging out rivals Manchester United in the favourites the online betting markets for the Premier League trophy. Far from modifying the existing one, it was an entirely new design and signified the beginning of a new era.
The aim was to provide a simpler, more streamlined image for a global fan base. It followed the club’s rise to success following its 2008 Abu Dhabi United Group takeover.
Soccer club Leeds United had less success when it abandoned its traditional crest logo and replaced it with a more straightforward design for social media. Fans protested, and the club went back to its traditional design.
The Italian soccer club Juventus’s logo change was about fashion. It swapped out its beloved oval club logo with an ultra-simple one that featured two letters Js—one uppercase and the other lowercase.
We are likely to see more sports teams changing their logos as sports go global, but sometimes, fan power will win out instead.
