Are you a fan of soccer? If you are and you live in the USA or Canada than you are likely among the million or so followers of the Major League Soccer (MLS). Started in 1996, MLS has steadily grown in popularity across North America and it is now made up of 19 professional soccer teams. In an effort to stay current and attract more viewers, the MLS announced earlier this month that they are releasing a new, revised version of their logo.
Old MLS logo:
New MLS logo:
Designed by New York based Athletics and Berliner Benson, I think that the new MLS logo is great. It is a new and refreshing look for the MLS that really helps to bring this still very young league into its own. If I glance at the old MLS logo, I immediately think of the words tired and old, simple and plain. When I look at the new MLS logo, I think bold, new and exciting. I see a classic shield symbol that has been modernized and re-worked to fit into our more modern times. This MLS logo was definitely created to attract attention and compete.
Some might say that a shield is a traditional symbol that has been used in sports branding for decades. This is true however, the new MLS shield logo isn’t just a shield and it has been cleverly manipulated into so much more. This shield symbol bares a diagonal slash through it, which is a simple and smart way to allude to the speed, energy and fast paced nature of the game of soccer. The slash also cuts the shield logo into a top and a bottom half thus transforming the MLS logo into something completely new and innovative. The top half houses the MLS wordmark and three stars which represent ‘For Club, For Country, For Community’. The bottom half is the most unique element of this logo design as it is meant to act as a window into which we, the viewers can use to peek into the dynamic world of the game of soccer.
For me, the bottom half of the new MLS logo is what really makes this logo design unique as it is used to exhibits the raw power and ingenuity of this sport. This is something completely new to soccer logos and it will be used very cleverly in all of MLS’s advertising to bring in a whole new generation of MLS fans. Not only is it modern, bold and cool but also, the bottom window really highlights the passion, emotion and love found in this game.
Each team will have its own version of the club crest displaying its team colors. The unique MLS logo for each team will appear on the shoulder sleeve of their team jerseys along with the individual teams crest. Look for the new MLS logo in 2015 when it hits the ground running. Expect to see a whole lot of new advertising in 2015 as well as the new MLS logo is displayed far and wide with pride.
