D.C. United Rebrand/Modernization

[GFB]

This is a little something I whipped up in between NHL concepts. As a big soccer fan and midfielder since the age of 5, I like to cheer on soccer in America (which pains me because I hate David Beckham...). Anyway, I have always been a fan of DC United, but the fact that their current crest isn't well rendered drives me crazy.

Here's a visual:

So I took the time to fix the problem. Here's my rendition of the DC United logo....

(Yes, I did use the new Caps second logo for the head because I was pressed for time. I think it fits in flawlessly.)

Here are the kits. I know the whole MLS is outfitted by Adidas, and that DC United has been and Adidas from the beginning, but my hatred for Adidas trumps those 2 factors. (Nike Vapors are way better than the Adidas Predators!)

So here are my Nike DC United Kits...

C&C Please! Thanks!

GFB

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UPDATES ON PAGE 2...

[gordie_delini]

I would not incorporate the stars into the crest, and I would keep the banner contained within the crest as DC have it currently. I would also make the wings a bit more curvy - they're too angular compared to the head of the eagle. Also, you may want to pick a different typeface other than City - it's a bit over used in the sports world, and doesn't convey the classy-ness you're trying to go for with a club like DCU. For the kits, I'd add a little gold piping to mimic the crest. Nice start.

[JamieRose]

i really like what you have done here. You gave the team a bit more of a european feel, which is what the MLS could use (i'm not a big fan of most current MLS crests of kits).

the only thing i would suggest is to add more color to the uniforms, a little red and gold detailing. nothing too much, just some little subtle details.

[HarperK]

I think that logo is stunning, I got no beef with it. Its one of the most obvious upgrades to a major sports team I've seen here

BTW, I think the gradient looks great presentation-wise, but i think it affects feedback. Not a big deal, but i think people tend to view the presentation as a whole more than the logo itself. Just my 2 cents. Great looking logo still

[evobost]

The logo is nice, I like it alot, however I don't think anything is wrong with the current one. Change for change sake I don't like all that much. The kit design, I love, I wish they would use these.

[Davidson]

nice eagle but looks a bit top heavy.

i think you could just use the bird? like spurs or liverpool.

[SG30]

That's brilliant! I love the template too.

[GFB]

Here are some responses to some of the comments...

- The 4 stars signify the 4 MLS Championships won by DC United. Stars will be added as the championships are won.

- Brian, what font would you suggest? I went through probably a thousand fonts and finally settled on City.

- I was trying to go for an abstract eagle, which explains the angular wings. I may try to change them later...

- The gradient is there, not by choice, but by need. I find the gradient alot less distracting than watermarks that flood the image.

- I could try the eagle by itself on the jerseys, but I would like to keep the crest...

- I tried to figure out how to add red or orange on the kits, but was unsuccessful. Any ideas?

GFB

[gordie_delini]

Outline the black stripe on the shirt with gold, add red into the collar. For a font, I might choose something like Albertus, or something more German like DIN, Gotham, Trade Gothic, or even Avenir. I think a sans typeface would be good, but play with serif fonts, especially flare-serif fonts. Again, I don't think the stars should be part of the crest for two reasons:

1) If they win more championships, your crest has to be updated

2) It's just kind of an unwritten rule in the football world that championship stars go above the crest or somewhere else on the kit (e.g. on the right chest a lá Juve)

[andrewharrington]

To add some red and gold to the kit, look to the number outlines or the edge of the chest stripe. I also think the crest is top heavy and the banner gives it a strange shape. What about just the eagle with a banner across its middle or something. It's simply not the most elegant or aesthetically pleasing crest silhouette.

[refuse]

To add some red and gold to the kit, look to the number outlines or the edge of the chest stripe. I also think the crest is top heavy and the banner gives it a strange shape. What about just the eagle with a banner across its middle or something. It's simply not the most elegant or aesthetically pleasing crest silhouette.

Nice concept. If the stars represent championships, the usual way to include them on the uniform is putting them above the actual logo. That way the logo stays the same over the years, remember it's tradition that counts in soccer. Also, I think the top of the logo could be slimmed a bit and the eagle should be tweaked a tiny bit. The Caps eagle logo and this logo are similar enough without using the same eagle head.

[Pandaguy87]

Dude, what about the three stripes? I thought that's what their uniforms were all about?

[BallWonk]

I don't see the new logo as much of an upgrade, to be honest. I suspect that probably results from two factors:

1. I don't think the current logo is "badly rendered" at all, or in any way in need of revision.

2. Your new logo has an attractively rendered eagle, but it's got poor balance. It's much too top heavy. The banner extends the sides of the top out for no good reason at all -- it would be one thing if you were using that space, but you're not, so it's just wasted lines and empty space. And the top of the crest curves out without ever really curving in, so the space at the top where you put the stars is also overwhelmingly wide compared to the eagle, which if this were a well-designed logo would be the visual focus of the crest. I mean, just look at all that unused black space between the stars. Why did you choose to make that empty black space the dominant element of the entire logo? Wouldn't it have been better to make, say, the eagle, or the team name, or even the championship stars, the dominant element here? Also, the way the red atop of the bird's head curves is a bit of a visual non sequitur.

That said, I think you're a very few relatively minor tweaks away from having a really strong crest here. For example, redraw the top of the shield so that the whole thing is better proportioned and the eagle is in the widest part of the crest. Bring the team name inside the shield itself and not on a banner, and then remove the championship stars from the shield (perhaps putting them on a banner?) to a more easily modified part of the periphery of the logo, and you'll have a real winner.

As far as the uniforms, they're quite good. But Adidas or no, I think multiple stripes communicates team identity better than one thick stripe. A plain jersey with one thick stripe communicates "divided," not "united." Multiple stripes say "united" more strongly. Two stripes would be better than three, but regardless I think your designs are near-perfect uniforms that just don't quite work for this particular team. But I wouldn't complain if United started wearing your excellent uniforms, except to wish that red was a more dominant color, which isn't really your fault. I don't think United have looked right since they dropped the white shirts with horizontal red stripes years ago.

[Viola73]

I had always thought if DCU were to change their crest I would like to see the eagle come off the sheild and be perched on top of the sheild like Lazio. To replace the eagle in the sheild I would put DCU (with DC next to each other and a large U penatrating the D and C). In the background of the sheild have the DC flag, or the DC flag border the crest.

Just a thought.

[SG30]

Dude, what about the three stripes? I thought that's what their uniforms were all about?

Three stripes = Adidas

[js °]

wow man .. love the rebrand here. love the kits, iconic and menacing ... excellent work. The mark is a gigantic step in the right direction, but I took a minute to make a few changes for a few reasons (hope you don't mind again man).

Before:

After:

The number 3 is very important to the city of Washington, DC. The 3 branches of government, the 3 regions of the city, 3 waterways, etc. So i took the wings down to 3 feathers on each side (as the original had), and 3 stars as well. Did a few minor aesthetic things as well ... let me know if you see them as improvements or not. Another great rebrand concept GFB.

[VitaminD]

Great work as usual, GFB.

I'd agree with those who weren't crazy about City as your font choice. I'd favor a serifed font, only to try and lend a little sophistication to one of the more successful teams in MLS.

I'd also get rid of the championship stars. They are a mark separate from the team badge, and should change in time. The only conspicuous example I could find to support what you did would be Boca Juniors in Argentina. So I guess it can be done; it's just rare.

My major thought was the lack of stripes. One way to remedy the lack of stripes and in so doing, add a little color to the mix, would be to put two red stripes through the thick stripe (stopping at the number as the current thick stripe does)

Why?

1. Check the DC flag.

2. The red adds necessary color to liven up the black/white motif (although there's nothing wrong with black and white by themselves)

3. 2 red stripes make the one thick stripe into 3 stripes, reminiscent of what DC United has always had, and reintroducing the importance of the number 3 as it relates to DC.

[Brian in Boston]

I've long felt that DC United's logo was one of the worst in Major League Soccer. The shield is too rounded and bulbous at the bottom end... the font is too generic... the eagle looks like it was designed by a four-year-old in a pre-school class... the star-and-ball device appears to be a "slapped on" afterthought. In short, the logo has always struck me as a complete mess.

That being said, your concept strikes me as being a step in the right direction. The shield's general shape is a bit sleeker, though I still feel that the black portion at the top is a little wide. I like your eagle's head much better, but I think that the wings - while a huge improvement over those to be found in DC United's current logo - still need some work. I'd be interested in seeing the eagle rendered slightly larger, with it's wings and "tail" extended out over the edges of the shield. I like your version of the star-and-ball device better, as well.

[NDwas]

First off, this is an absolute upgrade over anything they've ever had. I love the improvements you made, js°.

Here's the second version with a new font. Just my two cents.

[Redskins24]

Your logo and unifrom ideas are very well done. However, I'm not a fan of either of them. The seal/logo is way too jagged. Make the eagle look cool not abstract.

Also, the uniforms MUST have three stripes. It's one of the few jersey traditions that an MLS team has had for all its existence. The unis you have remind me of one of the later Metrostars uniforms. They need more red.

Again, the quality is very good I'm just not a fan of either of these ideas.