A roaring success? Opinions on the new Premier League visual identity

The Premier League today announced a new visual identity, courtesy of DesignStudio, to be used from the 2016/17 season.

With such a monolithic presence on the world footballing landscape, this new rebrand has garnered worldwide attention and of course – as with all major rebrands – an outpouring of opinions.

The new visual identity is devoid of the previous sponsor Barclays, and as such a the new identity features a simpler layout – which interestingly doesn’t even include a football.

previous premier league logo

The previous Barclays Premier League logo.

The new Premier League visual identity

New Premier League Visual Identity
New Premier League Visual Identity

The new Premier League features a Mustafa-esque lion adorned with a crown and updated typography, along with a bold and vibrant colour scheme.

New Premier League Visual Identity
New Premier League Visual Identity

DesignStudio Founder and CEO, Paul Stafford, said that the release was just the start with a lot more to come from the Premier League before the new season begins.

“Our aim was to create an identity that acknowledges everyone who plays a part in one of the most exciting leagues in the world,” Stafford said. “And with a fresh, new take on the iconic Lion, we’ve created an identity that’s purpose-built for the demands of the modern world. While staying true to the Premier League’s history and heritage.”

Opinions on the new Premier League identity

We asked our designers their opinions on the new Premier League visual identity, as well as a few from around the internet.

Tom’s verdict 3.7 / 5

Tom Constantine Designer Marvellous web design agency
Tom, Designer at Marvellous

The lion imagery is in keeping with the premier league style but the type doesn’t suit the logo and the ethos of the Premier League in my opinion.

Some of the words being thrown around: fast paced, exciting and intense – things the new logo is supposed to be – aren’t backed up by the new typeface.

The new colour scheme works well, especially the navy blue which looks very fresh and exciting.

Klaudia 4.5 / 5

Klaudia Szlifinska Designer Marvellous digital marketing agency
Klaudia, Designer at Marvellous

I like the positive vs negative use of space on the new identity. The curves are soft and organic giving it a very natural look, but they are combined with spikes and sharp angles – the contrast between them makes the lion look very dynamic.

Personally I really like the typeface. It combines round forms and sharp edges like the lion. A variety of logo and font combos makes the logo versatile and ready for a wide variety of usages across print, digital and beyond.

The only negative for me is the colours. I’m not 100% sold, I don’t know if they fit the Premier League and they’re probably too bright to be used in large amounts like in the example.

Views from Twitter

We turned to Twitter to find some other opinions on the new identity, which were certainly, erm, mixed.

Simon
A Marvellous blog by Simon

Simon co-founded Marvellous in 2005, with the aim of building a dynamic digital agency – combining the latest technology with cutting-edge visual design.

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