MLS rolls out new league logo
Far from the fledgling league it was 20 years ago, MLS has unveiled a fresh crest logo.
MLS released its new crest logo on Thursday morning, giving the boot to the old ball and foot theme that represented the league since its debut in 1994.
Aside from being customizable (every team will gradually adopt a version of the crest in their own team colors), there seems to be a sense of comfort with the new logo in that it doesn't need to explain what exactly the MLS is anymore. The old logo featured a foot kicking a ball. This next generation logo is, according to the league, a nod to the future of MLS.
"As we sit here today, we know that the [old logo] is actually kind of dated," Howard Handler, MLS's chief marketing officer told Sports Illustrated. "The more modern brands of the world don't need to telegraph a specific category or line of business they're in."
While perhaps not clear, every mark, star, or slash has meaning.
"The slash refers to soccer's speed and energy. [It] drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the non-stop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league," the league noted.
The three stars? Those are the "pillars of the brand: For club, for country, for community."
There's no doubt about the ascension of the MLS. Three new teams begin play in the next three seasons (David Beckham's potential club in Miami being the fourth), and it's seen significant growth in terms of star power.
Home-grown American stars have opted to stay in the MLS (albeit for bigger contracts than what they were offered in Europe) and numerous European stars have finished off their careers in the MLS.
The league has plenty to be excited about as it officially rolls out the new crest this fall and fully launches the campaign in January. Here's a sampling of what the individual club crests will look like.
The crest is customizable for each club. (MLSSoccer.com)
