2019 Lower League US Soccer - USL Championship, League 1, League 2, NPSL, etc

[Dilbert]

USL League One Madison club released their name and logo today as Forward Madison FC. Apparently the flamingo is the result of a prank a couple of Wisconsin students did in 1979 and the pink lawn flamingos have been a part of Madison history since.

 

They also poked fun at explaining their logo:

[WideRight]

As a Badger alum I love all the references that locals can embrace.  The flamingo stunt was one of the greatest student pranks in the history of UW (along with the sunken Statue of Liberty on the ice), Forward is the statue on the top of the capital building at the center of the Isthmus.  The art deco feel works well with the Frank Lloyd Wright designed conference center that is one of the city's most notable buildings. The colors don't exactly screem Wisconsin (more Miami) but they are unique and could work well together  (Light blue jersey with black shorts & socks, alternate uni in pink & white, just a thought.)

 

[FinsUp1214]

I have to admit, at first I was like WTF at the flamingo, but then I remembered watching a segment about those Wisconsin pranks on (I think) Mysteries at the Museum, and it all made perfect sense afterwards. It certainly could run the risk of a lot of people outside of Wisconsin being really baffled at it, but I’m assuming that the legend of the pranks is well-known enough in and around Madison that they’ll be plenty safe with the target market, if not completely nailing it for them. It’s quirky in a really great way.

[Gothamite]

I posted this on the megathread:

 

For people who don’t get the reference, two students from the prankster Pail and Shovel Party covered the main hill on campus with a thousand pink plastic lawn flamingos on the first day of classes, 1979. 

 

 

(One of those guys went on to help found Mystery Science Theater 3000.)

 

It’s since become something of a tradition since then, to the point where the plastic lawn flamingo was named the official bird of Madison. 

 

 

Add the flag of Madison to the mix, and they’ve come up with a crest that’s uniquely Madison.  Pink may not be a Wisconsin color on its own, but sky blue is the city’s color. 

 

 

Seriously, that’s brilliant.  Well done, Mr. Wilt. 

 

[Gothamite]

On 11/18/2018 at 9:21 PM, FinsUp1214 said:

I have to admit, at first I was like WTF at the flamingo, but then I remembered watching a segment about those Wisconsin pranks on (I think) Mysteries at the Museum, and it all made perfect sense afterwards. It certainly could run the risk of a lot of people outside of Wisconsin being really baffled at it, but I’m assuming that the legend of the pranks is well-known enough in and around Madison that they’ll be plenty safe with the target market, if not completely nailing it for them. It’s quirky in a really great way.

 

Yeah, it really is.  They sell tourist postcards of the flamingos. 

 

 

And the stunt gets replicated every now and then, keeps it fresh.  It’s not just a forty-year-old prank, but an ongoing local tradition.

 

 

 

I can’t stress how well tuned this is for the target audience.  There are things I don’t absolutely love about the badge - “608” in Roman numerals is too clever by half - but on the whole this is very, very well done. 

[MilSox]

Not the biggest fan of the name... it feels a bit goofy and forced for my tastes.  But maybe it'll grow on me.

However, they did a great job on the badge.  I didn't even know the pink flamingo story, but it seems like something Madison locals would get without explanation, so kudos to that.  

[The_Admiral]

6 hours ago, WideRight said:

The flamingo stunt was one of the greatest student pranks in the history of UW (along with the sunken Statue of Liberty on the ice)

 

One (or both) of these was the work of Jim Mallon.

[mcrosby]

I really like this look and can't wait to wear it to games, but there are a few things that bother me. 

• The rays above the flamingo. I get that there's a space that needs filling, but it seems lazy. 
• The scales on the flamingo. Seems fishy. 
• The changing lineweight on the rays and the wing lines. This would look much cleaner if those lines kept the same weight as the rest of the logo. 
• The typeface doesn't ebb with the art deco feel of the rest of the logo. 
• The Roman numeral six hundred eight. I would have been fine with a 2018, but area code seems odd. 

 

So I went ahead and took a stab at it, because if I'm going to complain I should at least make an attempt. 

• I swapped the rays for an art deco capitol. I can use my designer speak to say that the W is encased because the club represents all of Wisconsin, not just Madison. 
• I made line weights consistent. 
• Changed the wing area.
• Changed the font. 
• Highlighted the sash from the flag. 
• Filled in the beak/eye shapes to be more consistent with an actual...or actual plastic flamingo.

[BrandMooreArt]

6 hours ago, mcrosby said:

I really like this look and can't wait to wear it to games, but there are a few things that bother me. 

• The rays above the flamingo. I get that there's a space that needs filling, but it seems lazy. 
• The scales on the flamingo. Seems fishy. 
• The changing lineweight on the rays and the wing lines. This would look much cleaner if those lines kept the same weight as the rest of the logo. 
• The typeface doesn't ebb with the art deco feel of the rest of the logo. 
• The Roman numeral six hundred eight. I would have been fine with a 2018, but area code seems odd. 

 

So I went ahead and took a stab at it, because if I'm going to complain I should at least make an attempt. 

• I swapped the rays for an art deco capitol. I can use my designer speak to say that the W is encased because the club represents all of Wisconsin, not just Madison. 
• I made line weights consistent. 
• Changed the wing area.
• Changed the font. 
• Highlighted the sash from the flag. 
• Filled in the beak/eye shapes to be more consistent with an actual...or actual plastic flamingo.

 

That is far better executed, though the white stripe is still a bit much. I get it, it’s the flag but there’s too many ideas overlapping and not integrating. The entire thing seems odd to me though. We’re back at this “are you sure you want to be represented by that idea?” And that idea is a joke. I guess I’m just not into cutesy logos

[Gothamite]

54 minutes ago, BrandMooreArt said:

I guess I’m just not into cutesy logos

 

You say “cutesy”, I see “whimsy”.  And a degree of whimsy works very well for lower-level minor league sports.  Especially in a city that has a history of embracing merry pranksters. 

 

Hearing lots of comparisons between the Green Bay Booyah and Forward Madison; they apparently share an ownership group, and took a similarly whimsical approach to their identities, but one falls full-blown into “stupid” and one manages to walk the fine line.  

 

The difference there juuuuuust might be Brandiose.

 

 

 

[BrandMooreArt]

4 hours ago, Gothamite said:

 

You say “cutesy”, I see “whimsy”.  And a degree of whimsy works very well for lower-level minor league sports.  Especially in a city that has a history of embracing merry pranksters. 

 

 

 is that why every lower level minor team re-brands every 5 years? 

[DrJack]

28 minutes ago, BrandMooreArt said:

 

 is that why every lower level minor team re-brands every 5 years? 

The re-brands are because lower level minor teams still need to make money, and outside of merchandise sales, they don't have many ways to do that.  Tickets, yes, but the stadiums are small.  And no one is shelling out big sponsorship dollars or television deals to minor league sports.

 

And I have to say, this is one of the coolest and most interesting soccer badges (regardless of league) that I've ever seen.  9.5/10 in my book.  It looks good.  It's unique.  It has local meaning. Well done, Forward Madison.  

[Mac the Knife]

5 hours ago, Gothamite said:

The difference there juuuuuust might be Brandiose.

 

That's like saying the difference between my aunt and my uncle is that one has a penis...

 

57 minutes ago, BrandMooreArt said:

 is that why every lower level minor team re-brands every 5 years? 

 

MONEY is the impetus behind every rebrand during the past 40 years.  How can we jump-start revenue?  Come up with some bat**** new name for our team, put some bull**** cutesy branding around it, and it'll sell until people tire of it.  Then lather... rinse... repeat.

[DrJack]

12 hours ago, mcrosby said:

I really like this look and can't wait to wear it to games, but there are a few things that bother me. 

• The rays above the flamingo. I get that there's a space that needs filling, but it seems lazy. 
• The scales on the flamingo. Seems fishy. 
•  The changing lineweight on the rays and the wing lines. This would look much cleaner if those lines kept the same weight as the rest of the logo. 
• The typeface doesn't ebb with the art deco feel of the rest of the logo. 
•  The Roman numeral six hundred eight. I would have been fine with a 2018, but area code seems odd. 

  

So I went ahead and took a stab at it, because if I'm going to complain I should at least make an attempt. 

• I swapped the rays for an art deco capitol. I can use my designer speak to say that the W is encased because the club represents all of Wisconsin, not just Madison. 
• I made line weights consistent. 
• Changed the wing area.
• Changed the font. 
• Highlighted the sash from the flag. 
• Filled in the beak/eye shapes to be more consistent with an actual...or actual plastic flamingo.

 

I like your attempt here.  You'v clearly moved the design into a more Art Deco sphere.  I just like the original design more, and here is why:

 

1. I don't think Art Deco was the inspiration to begin with.  It just wouldn't make any sense for Madison, WI to draw heavily from that style.  Yes, flamingos are kind of a south Florida thing.  And yes, south Florida is kind of an Art Deco place.  But in this case, the flamingos are representative of a lawn prank, not an aesthetic influence.  The rest of the logo is very mid-century modern and and kitsch-y which works great for Madison and the idea of a lawn flamingo as well. 

 

More this: 

 

Less this: 

It's a small distinction, but important stylistically, and it is why I love the original.  The typeface they chose is so perfectly 'Brady Bunch', and the fans/rays/whatever behind the flamingo have that same mid-century vibe.  Conversely - if we're nitpicking on architectural styles - there really isn't anything "Art Deco" about the capital in your version.

 

2. I wouldn't want to add the white around the eye, because that's not how any flamingo lawn ornaments look.  They're all pink.  And from a distance, the shape of the flamingo is more clear when it it is all one color.  The only minor change I'd think about there would be making the beak navy, but I'm not sure that's actually better.

 

3.  I think you're detracting from the aesthetic by making the line weights consistent.  That varied thickness adds to the mid-century whimsy, where as the mono-weight you went with pulls it into the 21st century and muddies the styles even further.

 

4.  I do like your move to make the diagonal sash solid white.  That is a significant improvement.

 

 

[BrandMooreArt]

2 hours ago, Duck_Duck said:

The re-brands are because lower level minor teams still need to make money, and outside of merchandise sales, they don't have many ways to do that.  Tickets, yes, but the stadiums are small.  And no one is shelling out big sponsorship dollars or television deals to minor league sports.

 

seems short-sighted. especially when they're spending (or at least should be) $50-100k on them. 

 

1 hour ago, Duck_Duck said:

 

I like your attempt here.  You'v clearly moved the design into a more Art Deco sphere.  I just like the original design more, and here is why:

 

1. I don't think Art Deco was the inspiration to begin with.  It just wouldn't make any sense for Madison, WI to draw heavily from that style.  Yes, flamingos are kind of a south Florida thing.  And yes, south Florida is kind of an Art Deco place.  But in this case, the flamingos are representative of a lawn prank, not an aesthetic influence.  The rest of the logo is very mid-century modern and and kitsch-y which works great for Madison and the idea of a lawn flamingo as well. 

 

More this: 

 

Less this: 

It's a small distinction, but important stylistically, and it is why I love the original.  The typeface they chose is so perfectly 'Brady Bunch', and the fans/rays/whatever behind the flamingo have that same mid-century vibe.  Conversely - if we're nitpicking on architectural styles - there really isn't anything "Art Deco" about the capital in your version.

 

2. I wouldn't want to add the white around the eye, because that's not how any flamingo lawn ornaments look.  They're all pink.  And from a distance, the shape of the flamingo is more clear when it it is all one color.  The only minor change I'd think about there would be making the beak navy, but I'm not sure that's actually better.

 

3.  I think you're detracting from the aesthetic by making the line weights consistent.  That varied thickness adds to the mid-century whimsy, where as the mono-weight you went with pulls it into the 21st century and muddies the styles even further.

 

4.  I do like your move to make the diagonal sash solid white.  That is a significant improvement.

 

 

 

so you're saying the aesthetics ("it just has to look good") arn't enough to carry the logo, but the symbolism and communication (message) is equally, if not more important?? thats just crazy!!  though i must disagree with your 9.5 rating; the flaws in craftsmanship here do not warrant that. just the corners of the white lines alone bring this down to above-average-at-best range

[Gothamite]

3 hours ago, BrandMooreArt said:

is that why every lower level minor team re-brands every 5 years? 

 

Because we have too many Green Bay Booyahs and not enough Forward Madisons.  

 

besides:

 

1) not every team does.  There are some very successful lower-level designs that have lasted.  The Brooklyn Cyclones are going on twenty years now.  The Durham Bulls even longer. The Toledo Mud Hens have had theirs for a while too. As have the Portland Sea Dogs and Salt Lake Bees.  I’m sure there are more, that’s just off the top of my head.  Given the overall instability around MiLB in general, it’s amazing how long some of these designs have survived.

 

2) I fully admit that the line between whimsy and stupid is a very fine one.  And most teams end up on the wrong side, because Brandiose. Teams end up chasing the sugar high of the new-and-shiny rather than the solid-and-well-thought-out, and have to chase the new sales dragon again all too soon.  

[DrJack]

2 hours ago, BrandMooreArt said:

 

seems short-sighted. especially when they're spending (or at least should be) $50-100k on them. 

Hey man, I just draw pretty pictures.  I'm not the numbers guy.

 

2 hours ago, BrandMooreArt said:

so you're saying the aesthetics ("it just has to look good") arn't enough to carry the logo, but the symbolism and communication (message) is equally, if not more important?? thats just crazy!!  though i must disagree with your 9.5 rating; the flaws in craftsmanship here do not warrant that. just the corners of the white lines alone bring this down to above-average-at-best range

 

What other flaws in the craftsmanship do you see?  The corners of the white lines jumped out to me too, but I see that they're just starting to follow the curve of the crest shape.  Not good, but ehhhh.  Anything else you noticed?

[SFGiants58]

21 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

One (or both) of these was the work of Jim Mallon.

 

Oh, the Mike Love of MST3K. Seriously, Mallon being bought out was the best thing that could have happened to MST3K. The actual creative talent can finally earn money from it again!

 

[BrandMooreArt]

14 hours ago, Duck_Duck said:

What other flaws in the craftsmanship do you see?  The corners of the white lines jumped out to me too, but I see that they're just starting to follow the curve of the crest shape.  Not good, but ehhhh.  Anything else you noticed?

 

yea, lots of details. 1.) the entire bottom half of the flamingo; the lines are drawn well enough, but i think its the wrong lines. they should probably follow the angle of the diagonal white bar at some point there and the feathers definitely look like scales. 2.) the blue lines under "Forward" are distracting because they're too heavy. the least they could do is make them white to "lighten" them, but the tapered weight doesnt help either. it makes the logo top heavy and the line weight should follow in the bottom of the flamingo to balance it. 3.) the corners of the flamingo are all crazy. why is the head so sharp but the beak ends rounded? some consistency there would go a long way 4) i hate critiquing kerning, its so nerdy, but i think there's some issues here especially around the W and A's. 5.) theres some tight spaces (tangents) in the face. those lines should either connect or have more space. that gets problematic in embroidery and print as well as creating some visual tension.

 

theres more i would do, but i'd start there with just making it a better version of itself 

[xbhaskarx]

I never liked the "Silverbacks" name, but not only did they replace it with a generic one, their crest just went from 7/10 to -1/10... even the original Silverbacks crest was better (I'd give it a 2/10)...

 

ATL Sliverbacks FC (NPSL) rebranded as Atlanta SC

From


 

To

 

“The colors represent the Georgia Peach, which is symbol of Georgia” --Atlanta SC Owner and President Phoday Dolleh

 

Yes it's merely a fourth division soccer team in a city that has Atlanta United

so who cares... but still the #1 rule of logo redesign should be "first do no harm"