The Columbus Crew today unveiled its new brand and visual identity at an exclusive event at the LC Pavilion in downtown Columbus. Evolving to Columbus Crew Soccer Club in 2015, Investor-Operator and Chairman Anthony Precourt revealed the club’s new badge at the ceremony alongside Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and the entire Black & Gold roster, including the club’s newest addition, striker Kei Kamara. The event was hosted by MLS veteran and national soccer broadcaster Brian Dunseth, and featured a live performance from national recording group New Politics.
The new Columbus Crew SC brand will be implemented through a few select elements in 2014, including stadium signage, merchandise and digital executions. Full brand implementation will take place at the beginning of 2015.
“We are extremely proud of our new brand direction and visual identity,” said Columbus Crew SC Investor-Operator and Chairman Anthony Precourt. “Our new badge and word-mark truly reflect who we are as a club, from our origins and historical accomplishments to our connection with Columbus and our unique fan culture. It’s a timeless design and a strong statement for our brand.”
The new circular-shaped badge, which features the club’s current black and gold colors and adds white as an accent color instead of the previous grey tone, is a symbol of unity and a nod to Columbus’ German heritage by way of the German Bundesliga club crests that are predominantly circular in shape. Within the badge, the club’s full name, Columbus Crew SC, wraps around an outer ring to make a stronger connection to its hometown and further distinguish the brand as a soccer club. The inner ring mirrors the circular shape within the state flag of Ohio to emphasize Columbus as the capital city. Within the heart of the inner ring, 96 adorns the club’s original crest to reference the year the club and League were formed. That crest sits atop nine black and gold diagonal lines to distinguish the club’s history as the first member of the original 10 charter clubs that formed the League, as well as the upward trajectory of our club. The other design element within the heart is a black and gold checkerboard pattern to symbolize the club’s unique and passionate fan culture.
Complete information regarding the new brand identity – featuring the club’s brand pillars; a breakdown of the new badge; a frequently asked questions section and more – is available on the Crew’s official website: http://bit.ly/10R2Ufg
In addition to the new badge being revealed, Mayor Coleman and Precourt announced that the club is investing $100,000 in a new authentic Columbus experience at Crew Stadium that will feature food, retail and artistic elements that reflect Columbus’ iconic hot spots such as German Village and the Short North. Details of this program and how people can contribute their ideas toward creating this experience will be released at a later date.
Precourt also announced that beginning in 2015, children living in the state of Ohio will be treated to a complimentary Crew ticket on their 11th birthday as part of a new program to grow the fan base and the club’s brand throughout the region. Details on how parents can register their child for this program will also be released later in 2014.
“What we are talking about is not just a new badge for our club,” Precourt said. “We want to show people that we are doing things differently, that we want to represent the pride of Columbus, and that we want to attract fans from throughout the region.”
ABOUT COLUMBUS CREW SOCCER CLUB
Evolving to Columbus Crew Soccer Club in 2015 ahead of the organization’s 20th season, Columbus Crew SC is Ohio's Major League Soccer club. Owned and operated by Precourt Sports Ventures (PSV), and one of the League's Charter Members, it won its first MLS Cup championship in 2008, and has also won the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Supporters’ Shield titles in 2004, 2008 and 2009. 2014 is the Crew’s 16th season at first-of-its-kind Crew Stadium, the first topflight soccer-specific facility built in the United States. Founded by the American sports pioneer Lamar Hunt, the club was purchased by PSV on July 29, 2013 as part of the privately held investment and management firm’s sports and entertainment business enterprise.
