MLS Herald Brave New Dawn By Launching Completely Underwhelming New Logo (Photo)

Chris Wright

18th, September 2014

24 Comments

By Chris Wright

mls1

Having spent the last 20 years labouring under the same branding, the MLS has regenerated today, with the entire organisation getting a head-to-toe makeover as it moves into its next phase – a phase which they are rather handily referring to as their “NEXT” phase.

Of course, with a new re-brand comes a new logo and replacing the now-synonymous retro blue and green “cleat/ball” logo of yesterday comes a cool, crisp, exclusive, aspirational and dynamic symbol of MLS’s brave new dawn.

Without further ado, here is the aforementioned new NEXT logo – prepare to be slightly underwhelmed…

new-mls-logo

Yep, that’s it. All. She. Wrote.

We’re getting subtle hints of “white goods and domestic electrical appliances distributor” chic.

And what about the other half lads? When are you going to come back and finish that?

However, if you think the utterly generic new logo itself is bad then just wait until you hear the official blurb that accompanies it to help explain the intricacies of its revolutionary design.

This from the official MLS site:

WORDS: MLS stands for Major League Soccer.

SLASH: The slash refers to soccer’s speed and energy. The slash begins outside the perimeter and drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the non-stop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league. It bisects the crest to create a “first half” and “second half.”

STARS: The three stars represent the pillars of our brand: For Club, For Country, For Community.

PERIMETER: The perimeter represents the lines that mark off the field of play.

FIRST HALF AND SECOND HALF: The first half contains MLS and the three stars. The second half is an open white space that brings you in and out of the MLS world.

So the letters represent the words and the perimeter represents the perimeter? Genius.

*cough cough bullshit cough cough*

What’s the verdict, Pies fans? Yay or nay?

Posted in MLS, Newsnow

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24 Comments

  1. michael says:

    That bottom line tho. that line is slowly irritating me. Maybe its symbolic of the mls going literally NOWHERE with this logo!!!

  2. DynamoChelsea says:

    OK, OK, it isn’t exactly mind blowing, and yes, MLS has a habit of over doing the “symbolism” schtick, but it’s our league, and so it’s our look. Could be worse I suppose, we could have a bank logo as our leagues symbol…(runs).

  3. Tosser says:

    For fucksakes, how is that a 20year old league cant name itself something where the website isnt taken by a real estate firm? http://www.mls.com all your real estate needs.

    Instead the address is mlssoccer??? Major League Soccer Soccer the second soccer is for added impact? Why not mlsoccer if you are not completely fucking clueless.

    Yanks: didnt they invent brand? Coke, Google, the dumb F of facebook…hire some one with a clue MLS. Update the old logo to red, white, and blue and you win…simples.

  4. usrick says:

    I wouldn’t have thought it possible to create a new logo duller than the old logo, but they’ve gone and done it.

  5. Red_Till_I'm_Dead says:

    Is this a joke..? As a designer i cant even fathom what they were thinking. Whoever is responsible for this travesty of graphical foolishness should be shot at dawn. Honestly it looks like something cooked up 5 minutes before basic design class after failing to do my homework the night before because i was busy drinking beer.

  6. Grant says:

    I think it’s fine. MLSsoccer.com is fine too. It’s like Premier League football or Champions League football. Except it’s MLS soccer. No need to get all up in arms about it. I like that they customized it with all of the colors of the clubs. Reminds me of how the Coca-Cola logo was in all the Football League clubs’ colors for their advertising round the grounds, back when they were the presenting sponsor.

  7. Grant says:

    But there’s not many different kinds of baseball. MLS is trying to differentiate itself from a lot of different “kinds” of soccer, which the U.S. market is inundated with. For instance, here in the U.S., we have every game of the Premier League on live. Almost double the matches that are available in the U.K.

    Personally, I get more upset by people calling it “the MLS,” since you would never say “the Major League Soccer.”

  8. Poggibonso says:

    Common fellas, those of you upset, would critique anything the MLS put out. But please have some foresight, in 12 years NYCFC will inevitably be competing in the CL. And in all objectivity, it’s a beautiful crest; simple and elegant, much like Enzo Francescoli.

  9. Wilma says:

    The differing colours for each team is very cool. Watch the league video and then make your mind up.

  10. thekaratesuit says:

    yeah the club colours thing makes it pretty cool… i like it, that sticky-out line in modern. i think

  11. Zam says:

    Somehow more generic than the generic Pro Evo logos.

  12. Bev says:

    Its just a rip-off of FC Utrecht’s crest?
    (Can’t link but Google it)

  13. gamblino says:

    Have to say I thought it was a joke at first but it looks class when it’s on the shoulder of the club shirts in their colours. Very strong. The simplicity of it will be a winner I think. They will absolutely own that generic crest shape in a few years and no one will remember this conversation!

  14. Madeline says:

    this is a slight step up from the shit that was the previous logo. that is only because there was nowhere to go but up.

  15. Gatts says:

    Some committee got paid $150 million for this.

  16. fnarf says:

    I personally love it, like many other things

  17. Jarren says:

    Oh yeah, I get it after watching the video.

    Pretty cool.

  18. Robert says:

    It’s dreadful. Almost as bad as the name and logo rolled out the other day by the new “Pro” team in Charlotte, NC… the “Charlotte Independence”. ugh…

    The old logo was dated, for sure. This one looks like some marketing tool got too much leeway and was throwing around buzzwords like “flat design… that’s what the kids like these days!” ffs

  19. Adam says:

    Surely, an organization with that much money can hire someone with a college degree (any college degree) to do their design work. Heck, even a trade school certificate. A certified plumber would have done better.

  20. Hootie says:

    It has a little weiner!

  21. Alex says:

    Ha, dynamochelsea just owned us.

    I think it’s decent, and if anyone questions the referee blowing his whistle at 45 minutes, he can just refer to the crest.

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