Revisit

I was just re-reading a post yesterday that I had written just prior to the NHL season regarding the Washington Capitals Logo and how the eagle somewhat resembled the D.C. United’s Logo. Ironically, today the D.C. United unveiled new uniforms, which don’t feature a new eagle form or anything of the like. In fact, the uniforms haven’t changed much at all, if you exclude the large Volkswagen logo planted smack dab in the middle of the jersey.

That’s right, the D.C. United now sport the big VW on their uniforms and from what I’m gathering, the reception has been rather good. You can read more about the finer details by visiting the team’s official blog, Behind the Badge.

“We left our jersey blank for a long time because it was so important that the brand we associated with matched up and complemented our D.C. United brand,” said D.C. United managing partner Victor MacFarlane. “I’m pleased to say we’ve found that brand.”

Not being a passionate soccer fan myself, I suppose I’m unsure of how autos conceptually meld with soccer. I realize that the sport has a stronger following in Europe and Volkswagen is European, so I guess that’s something, but we’re in America, right? Anyway, I do like the jerseys and having one of the most well-established symbols on the planet, can only help the sales of merchandise and ticket sales.

In terms of co-branding, D.C. United’s team logo is obviously not the focal point. I presume that with soccer, this is more of the trend, or perhaps this is helping establish a trend where sponsors play more of a central role in the marketing. Perhaps this sport’s marketing will evolve to be somewhat akin to Nascar, where the focal point on the cars is the sponsor.

In any case, Volkwagon is a great brand, soccer is a far reaching sport, and the D.C. United has been one of the most successful teams in the MLS, so this should a great development. Per the agreement itself, the new arrangement gives Volkswagen licensing rights to the United’s jerseys, stadium displays, and preference for stadium naming rights when a new one is determined. The deal is reported to be one of the most lucrative to date for the sport in the U.S., at an estimated $14 million.

Volkswagen’s initiative was conceived in conjunction with their recent re-location of their stateside headquarters to my hometown of Herndon, VA, a suburb of Washington D.C. “We are very proud to be part of the greater Washington, D.C. community,” said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO of Volkswagen’s U.S. division. “We always said when we moved to D.C. and when we moved closer to our customers, to be a real marketing organization, we want to be also showing our local commitment by partnering with a great organization in this area and we are happy that you waited so long for us.”

I have a feeling that the arrangement will work out well, and we should be seeing these jerseys around town pretty soon!

• Read the official press release
• Read more about Volkswagen

I just read an article on USA Today which says that the NFL will be releasing a new logo next year. The logo will replace a design which is nearly 40 years old.

The redesign will not deviate from the established shield shape, but will be switching some of the interior components. The amount of stars will be reduced from 25 to 8. The original number of 25 is said to be arbitrary, but the new figure of 8 is representative of the 8 divisions which compose the league. The stars will be larger scale and will certainly improve the scaling down and reproduction of the logo for merchandising purposes.

Next to the stars is the redesign of the football, which is said to more closely mimic that of the Vince Lombardi Trophy—which was my first impression as well. Although I do think the illustration is an improvement, it’s my opinion that the more vertical placement creates an awkward interaction with the shield spire above it.

Moving on to the type, the new face shifts from a stylized serif, noticeable on the L, versus a slab serif. The change simplifies the type and makes it crisp. The increased white space surrounding the type also helps make this version more readable than its predecessors.

Finally, color. The new blue is darker and bolder which coupled with the current red, makes the mark very bold. For football, a bold impression is the key.

Other sports articles:

• Washington Capitals Logo Design
• Capitals Logo Follow-Up

The Web 2.0 Expo is a conference for web professionals, marketers and entrepreneurs. It is a new event that brings Web 2.0 to life by featuring workshops, networking, and keynote speakers. Speakers included the top brass for Amazon, Google, and Yahoo!.

I personally did not attend, but learned about this via the web. What caught my attention first on the website was the amount of Web 2.0 sponsors featured on the sidebar. All of the big names were represented, but the one that caught my eye was a company called LongJump.

Web 2.0 logos as a whole do not hold my attention, so when I see one that stands out, it is somewhat refreshing. As a commentary which I may expound upon later, the Web 2.0 logos are too dependent on type and not enough on concept.

Per the topic of discussion, the LongJump logo has concept, but after visiting their site, I’m still trying to figure out how that meaning is supposed to convey to their product. The website does not tie-in the meaning of the metaphor. There is no repetition of this concept elsewhere that I could find or discern.

Regarding the logo itself, I found it to be clean and simple. The figure evokes an athletic silhouette much akin to the famous Air Jordan Jumpman logo by Nike. The color association of the illustration and the word jump was a nice connection. The bold upper case sans-serif is very modern Web 2.0-like, catering to its application savvy market. The kerning was a point of interest to me. Most 2.0 logo’s don’t play with type and I found extended kerning to be an appropriate solution for this particular illustration. It gives some breathing room for the solid figure, but it also works well with the jumper who is performing a horizontal jump.

Speaking of which, I am not a track star, but this jumper appears to be more of a hurdler than a long jumper. I have included a picture of U.S. gold medal Olympians Edwin Moses (hurdles) and Carl Lewis (long jump) to demonstrate these different postures. Perhaps the designer made a determination that the hurdler is just more aesthetic, but it is a detail worth mentioning nonethless.

Here’s my follow-up to Washington Capitals Logo Design.

It has been a few weeks since the Capitals Draft Party and now that I have seen the logo, the buzz is over with, and I have time to think about it, I have come to the same conclusion. The new logo is a bit more modern, but still needs work. The uniforms are flat and do not have the mezmorizing quality that the original franchise sweaters had with their red, white, and blue stars.

Listed below from left to right is the Capitals new sleeve eagle logo, the Pontiac Firebird logo, and the D.C. United logo. I did not see the negative space Capitol in my initial analysis, but it’s probably better that I didn’t. The form is contrived and does not add to the design. It is clever, but I fail to see the meaning that it adds.

My initial reaction to the secondary logo evoked thoughts of Smokey and the Bandit, so there wasn’t enough difference I suppose for me to get excited about.

Another point, which might be valid is the fact that Washington sports already have this form represented in the D.C. United, who feature the same poised eagle.

I suppose birds of a feather flock together.

Addendum: 7/10/07

I sorted through my papers to find one of the handouts from the Capitals Draft Party. I must say, the materials the Capitals PR put together were very nice. The event was promoted very well! Here is the card, you can click on it for more detail.

Anyone who wants to delve further into the Washington Capitals uniform subject further should check out capsjerseys.com.

He shoots, he scores!

For hockey fans, this is a phrase synonymous with success, a cliché evoking the fullest degree of emotion. A reaction, which can bring fans out of their seats to fever pitched cheers, high fives, and chest thumps.

This emotional cue is to hockey, what the Slam Dunk is in Basketball, the Touchdown is to Football, and the Home Run is to Baseball. These adrenaline highs are what fuel the passion and excitement of sporting fans around the world.

Fans are captivated by their teams and find a sense of belonging by associating and bonding with fans who share this common interest. Dedicated team fans (fanatics) go to great lengths to identify themselves.

How often during televised broadcasts do you see the painted-faced fans getting screen time, or bare-chested men during frigid weather, or custom banners being waved in the crowd? People identify with their teams and go to sometimes, absurd levels to promote and protect the integrity of their team. When it comes to identification, their team is defined by the logo.

The sports merchandising industry hinges on the successful promotion of the franchises’ branded goods. Logos drive these goods and appear on Jerseys, Jackets, Ball Caps, etc. In recent years, an increasing amount of sports franchises have re-branded their team by introducing new logos and new uniforms. For hockey fans, re-branding translates to new jerseys, or if you are an old time hockey fan, new sweaters.

The professional hockey club in the D.C. metro area, where I live, is the Washington Capitals. Today, June 22, 2007, the franchise will unveil its newest logo. This will be the third logo since the team’s entrance into the league in 1974.

I must say as both a fan and a designer, I am not in favor of the new solution the Caps arrived at, but perhaps after the official unveiling, and some new details are revealed, my mind will have changed some. A sneak peak of the newest jersey reveals a return to the original typographic layout and the departure of the previous iteration’s eagle, in favor of a new eagle with an upward swoop on the wings.

Here is the chronology of the club’s logos:

Here are the club’s jerseys:

Analysis:

The original logo has been very popular with the fans and is now looked upon favorably, the way many other franchises view their “retro” historical jerseys. From a design perspective, it is very simple. The shape is a backwards slant which accommodates the natural lean and curvature of the stick. Likewise, the shape of the letter forms naturally integrate with the curve of the stick demonstrating the same fluidity. The stick serves as the icon and is called out through contrast of color (red) with the blue type. The blue puck serves as an accent. The dotting of the stick to form a “t” is a visual disconnect as the crossing of the “t” dots are muddled with the dotting of the “I”.

The re-branding from 1996 is two-fold, one eagle design and one logo featuring The Capitol. The eagle resonated well with me the first time I saw it. The strong icon of the bald eagle echoes deep within every American and coupled with the stars makes a solid patriotic connection. The shape is aggressive showing movement, always good for a hockey image, while still retaining simplicity.

Contrastly, the logo featuring The Capitol is a bit more complex and involves many more conceptual elements aside from it being more detailed. It features type, a puck, sticks, stars, and The Capitol. I like the repetition of color and re-usage of the stars between the two logos, but aside from that, this one does not stand out as much. Conceptually, I’m ok with the usage of The Capitol as it does convey our nation’s capital. At the same time, it is “The Capitol,” so if one were asked what the Capitals stand for, there could be a mix-up with the meaning, capital city versus Capitol building. I digress.

My initial reaction to the new logo was negative. Perhaps if I had seen it on a color other than red, I might have had a different reaction, but you can never go back to receive another first impression. The color is very bright and while it does draw attention, it is overpowering. Personally, as a fan, I wanted to see the original look and feel coupled with the 90’s eagle logo.

The new logo effectively re-implements the type treatment from the original logo. The type is modern and edgy yet not too daring. The “t” and “l” are rather high for my taste. The type comes across modern and edgy, yet not too daring. I particularly like how the type solves the previous issue with the dotting of the “t”. This version features a cross bar which does not separate from the form of the letter, and I like how it the counter space in the “a” repeats the direction of the cross bar in the “t”.

The repetition of the stars from the old logo will also help reinforce the retro style, however I am undecided on the placement of the puck.

The eagle much like the glaring red jersey, was also a negative reaction I had. I would assume it’s a bald eagle and it is stemming from the (W)ashington letterform, it does not do much conceptually or visually for me. There are plenty of birds out there similar to this. Conceptually compared to the 90’s version, it does not stack-up.

Conclusion:
The jury isn’t totally out on this yet, as we haven’t seen everything, and obviously, I’m just one fan. Perhaps this is an alternate third jersey. I am attending the “unveiling” tonight, so I’ll have to post an follow-up article. Please feel free to respond in the meantime.

See Capitals Logo Follow-Up for the follow-up article.

*Note: I am not associated, nor have any connection or inside knowledge of the Washington Capitals Organization or any of the designers associated with this project.