NWSL Kits

[SSmith48]

New Bay Area club unveiled their new brand and its... Bay FC. They didn't even try with this one. Also, its another Navy-heavy team, which adds onto a league that is very dark-color heavy. Not impressed here. The only good thing I can think of right now is the hidden bridge next to the B, but everything else just seems so generic.

 

[WestCoastBias]

1 hour ago, SSmith48 said:

New Bay Area club unveiled their new brand and its... Bay FC. They didn't even try with this one. Also, its another Navy-heavy team, which adds onto a league that is very dark-color heavy. Not impressed here. The only good thing I can think of right now is the hidden bridge next to the B, but everything else just seems so generic.

 

 

Just dreadful, nothing about this logo says Bay Area to me. It'd probably look good for a Baltimore or Birmingham team though. 

[vtgco]

35 minutes ago, WestCoastBias said:

 

Just dreadful, nothing about this logo says Bay Area to me. It'd probably look good for a Baltimore or Birmingham team though. 

So true. I was thinking Boston... Old-timey styling suits them too and navy+silver+red would fit in over there, way more than in the Bay Area IMO.

 

The little Golden Gate Bridge in there is kinda fun but not enough to save this lame name

 

If they must keep this brand though, I do hope they go with a silver fog home jersey a la @mcrosby's 49ers alt concept.

[CaliforniaGlowin]

Baysic FC 

[BurdBranding]

I like the overall concept, a lot. The hidden bridge in the "B" is done beautifully. That said, this brand doesn't feel right. Being from San Jose, seeing a bridge and "Bay" together makes me immediately think of the Bay Bridge. The fact that they used the Golden Gate in the logo and international orange as an accent has me struggling a little bit. I think a simple adjustment to the name would fix all the problems I have with it. 

[kimball]

The hidden bridge in the B is too hidden and overall there's nothing to me that FEELS like the Bay Area. However, I actually really do like the name. That'd be a good name for a MLS team.

[Digby]

 

 

I do like the way the reddish-orange looks paired with the navy but I feel like that's exactly what Kansas City Current are doing. 

 

Equalizer has a story about the branding and it basically comes down to "streetwear", which feels lazy and obvious and not even a good application of the genre if your best idea is just still ripping off Kanye West's tour merch from 2016.

[CaliforniaGlowin]

San Diego is also using Navy and pink and orange.

[Digby]

Boston's new NWSL team is finally official, now with a placeholder logo (but no real brand yet). Hopefully the glow-in-the-dark green is not finalized. A Zakim bridge identity would be interesting as an obvious choice for a Boston team, but one that's never been used with every other team's identity being fairly set in history at this point... but, their stadium is located on the opposite side of town from the Zakim.

 

[McCall]

1 hour ago, Digby said:

Boston's new NWSL team is finally official, now with a placeholder logo (but no real brand yet). Hopefully the glow-in-the-dark green is not finalized. A Zakim bridge identity would be interesting as an obvious choice for a Boston team, but one that's never been used with every other team's identity being fairly set in history at this point... but, their stadium is located on the opposite side of town from the Zakim.

 

[Digby]

Noticed the group's Instagram account is doing more of a shades of green (and greenish-yellow) thing so I wonder if the full color scheme might have more of this worked in. None of this is screaming "Boston" to me quite yet but I guess something in Boston could try leaning into modernity for a change. (edit: actually i realized after posting that Franklin Park is the end of the "Emerald Necklace" of parks that's a real Boston thing -- so, well played deep cut for the locals, and I'd rather crib the Celtics than the Sox/Pats)

 

 

[Brian in Boston]

While I'd concede that  Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is 4 to  4.5 miles "as the crow flies" across Boston from White Stadium,  I can understand  the impulse on the part of the club's ownership group to utilize a depiction of The Zakim in the NWSL Boston visual identity package. After all, Boston Unity Soccer Partners leadership has been steadfast in communicating that the club is committed to inclusion and empowering communities that historically have been marginalized. Mr. Zakim was a civil rights activist who fought tirelessly against antisemitism, racism, and other forms of discrimination. There's a connection there.

Now, that said, I don't think the depiction of The Zakim in the "NWSL Boston 2026" shield and "NWSL Boston - Coming 2026" roundel comes close to capturing how striking the actual structure truly happens to be. If the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is truly going to be the centerpiece of the organization's visual identity, I'm hoping that the graphic design professional hired to create the club's crest makes another attempt at depicting the span.

As for the club's color palette featuring multiple shades of green, there are several reasons the Boston Unity leadership team has likely opted to go this route: 

First, the dark green/mint green/green-yellow combination is unique in NWSL right now and likely will be in three seasons. If Boston were to lean into the darkest shade - it looks to me to be somewhere between Kaitoke (Pantone Hex #004830) and British Racing Green (Pantone Hex #004225) - as the primary color, with the lighter shade - it strikes me as a melding of  Mint (Pantone Hex # ) and Screamin' Green (Pantone Hex #76FF7A) - as the secondary hue, that would make for a terrific palette. As for the green-yellow shade, I'd use it as sparingly as possible... if at all.

Second, a palette comprised of shades of green could be seen as alluding to the site of the team's home stadium in Franklin Park, the largest "jewel" in Frederick Law Olmstead's "Emerald Necklace" park system within Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. Why not pay homage to the abundant scenic greenery in the urban oasis the team will call home?

Finally, the controlling partner of Boston Unity is Jennifer Epstein - her father just happens to be Boston Celtics co-owner Robert Epstein. A passion for pro sports and green uniforms may just run in the family.