When you don’t feel like coming up with a new design the year before a World Cup
(U.S. Soccer)
Nike and U.S. Soccer unveiled a new all red kit at midnight Eastern Time on a Tuesday Valentine’s Night. And it seems more thought went into that release than the design of the kit itself.
If you watched Euro 2016 or Ligue 1 this season, it should look familiar because it’s nearly identical to kits worn by England, Portugal and PSG.
Nike must have felt that going to the trouble of creating a new design the year before a World Cup—when shirt sales and public interest will be at their peak—simply wasn’t worth it. And if the U.S. Federation was willing to accept their boring old design, then, hey, why not?
The U.S. Federation’s website notes that red is “a core color of the United States flag” as a lame justification for the unoriginal look.
They had to know that this decision would be criticized, though. There were already grumblings when it leaked last week. So the release has been buried in the dead of night…on a holiday…during the middle of the week.
The women’s team will be the first to wear it at the SheBelieves Cup in early March and the men’s team will wear it for their World Cup qualifiers starting at the end of March.
This is what you get when you let focus groups dictate your identity
(Juventus)
Rarely do fans ever like even the smallest of changes to their favorite club’s badge, so it should come as no surprise that the reaction to Juventus’ new logo has been less than glowing. What is surprising, however, is just how different it is.
Juve’s crests from 1897 to now
The new logo—and it’s important to note that it’s being called a logo, rather than a badge, crest, or anything else that traditionally represents a football club rather than a corporation—boils down elements from previous badges to a minimalistic remnant so subtle that you need to analyze it like the Zapruder film to identify them.
Juventus’ objective is to grow in terms of presence and influence and to expand the business side of the club through a series of radically innovative initiatives, targeting both Bianconeri fans all over the world and those with less of an interest in football.
Black and White and More represents the start of a host of events relating to the Academy, immersive retail formats and a range of unique physical and digital products and services.
Translation: Juve would rather be Berkshire Hathaway than a football club. Sure, that might make sense for a traditional business. But business conglomerates don’t have fans. What Juve seem to be forgetting is that the reason people give them money is because those people have formed a personal relationship with the club. If they alienate themselves from those people in an attempt to become everything to everyone, they risk becoming nothing to anyone.
The transformation also encompasses a brand-new visual identity. The result of a bold, uncompromising approach, the new visual identity turns the sport’s traditional style on its head and sets about blazing a new trail.
A blazing new trail of unidentifiable blandness.
It is an iconic, simple design centred around sharp lines and will surely steal the spotlight no matter where it is used. The design brings to mind a famous line from Gianni Agnelli: “I get excited every time I see a word beginning with J in the papers.”
So they’ve made the new logo two J’s having sex?
“No club in Europe has so far been able to transcend sport and convey the philosophy behind that,” explains Manfredi Ricca, Chief Strategy Officer for EMEA & LatAm at Interbrand, who teamed up with Juventus to develop the identity and concept of Black and White and More.
“If there is one club capable of taking that step, it’s Juventus — the brand is synonymous with ambition and excellence and these are principles that can inspire truly unique experiences. The new visual identity has been designed to boldly take the club’s spirit into new, unexpected realms.”
Like the bargain bin at a discount store?
Here’s how the logo will look on Juve’s kits next season (viewed through the gun-barrel opening of a James Bond film?)…
