The Vancouver Whitecaps unveiled the logo they will enter MLS with in 2011 and here it is.
Fellow expansion club Portland Timbers are set to unveil their new logo on Saturday as part of the halftime festivities during a public viewing party of England-United States in downtown Portland.
What do you think of the logo? Like it? Starting to feel the excitement of the looming northwest rivalries that are coming to MLS?
Share your thoughts below.
Don’t like it. Don’t like the Mountain ranges on the bottom.
Looks good. Saw the unveiling online and I get it. The mountains on top are white (whitecaps) and on the bottom they are blue as a reflection of the mts. on the ocean.
Simple, doesn’t overdo anything, and should look nice with a good color scheme on the kits.
As far as the exitement of the northwest rivalries goes, no disrespect to Franco but that has already existed for several years, so I’m not “starting” to feel it. The second division’s loss is MLS’ gain.
Impressive new logo. The old one screamed lower division team but this is great. Lovin’ the concept of the mountains reflected in the water. Great idea and execution. Great use of what appears to be Avenir. Well done Whitecaps.
What RS said.
I really like this logo and it does its job quite effectively and to the point while not being overbearing or complicated. Kudos to the Whitecaps. Now get that Pacific Triangle of death rivalry going and get this party started.
I like the idea, but not the execution.
Maybe the Columbus Crew can get a new logo (and maybe a new name as well).
Looks fine to me, now time to get the three dudes off of Columbus’ logo.
I like the idea, but I don’t like the execution — this doesn’t look like a team logo, with the irregular W shapes on top and bottom. It would be great embedded in a more traditional crest shape, like the eagle in the DC United crest. I do, however, love the baby blue.
Better than the current one, simple its different so thats a good thing looks like its the same design house doing the logos for MLS. Hopefully the timbers new logo doesn’t change too much
nice idea. horrible, horrible execution. hell, give it to me, ill redesign it.
It looks like a ski resort’s logo.
Vancouver: Better than the current logo, but they should’ve brought back the late 70s early 80s logo.
As far as Portland is concerned, why on earth would they want to change their logo? It’s both appropriate and classic.
There is no soccer ball on it…nuff said
Why stop there? Chivas, Real, Wizards, Revolution, Fire and Earthquakes could all use a re-brand too.
looks great… of course the “mountains” on the bottom are the reflections on the water
White caps can also be waves (both in this case). Not terrible, not great. I guess i dont mind it, nothing too extreme. Curious to see how the rest of the kits turn out. Will MLS still be with Adidas next year?
looks hawt.
I hope the Timbers logo stays largely the same. Classic, classy.
Agreed. They need some sort of soccer element in the logo. This could be anything…
Many clubs have logos without soccer balls in them.
Arsenal
chelsea
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Fulham
probably literally hundreds of others.
I lied, Barca has a ball.
I think the rivalries will be good for the league, but it is a bit ridiculous that the northeast will have three teams in the league, when whole sections of the rest of the country have no teams at all (*cough* southeast *cough), nor hotbeds like St. Louis and a second team in NYC – as opposed to being in NJ.
looks like yet another mls team with a shade of blue as their primary color.
You need a ownership group that are deep pockets that is interested in owning a team in the SouthEast
I disagree. After a while, things become classic. Give it another 10 years (and a little more hardware) and people will fight to keep that ugly thing.
Oh, jeez. Like what? A soccer ball?
From the hints, it’s not going to be exactly the same. It will be circular, and have the axe, and 3 chevrons to represent the 3 ‘phases’ of the team (NASL/USL/MLS). We’ll see on Saturday.
Or, at least, Portland fans will see. I’ll be too busy soaked in the World Cup and prepping for the Aztex – Whitecaps game that evening.
it’s so 96, it just reminds me of the Metrostars back then, no I don’t like it
Which is nice, in this case. Because that’s been the Whitecaps other color for many, many years.
Agree. I hate how all MLS’ team logos are just that – logos. They’re advertising icons whereas in Europe and in South America they are more like crests, historical markings that represent the team in its relations to the area it plays in.
I could see this slapped on an energy drink can at the grocery store..
I’ll agree with RSL, SJ Earthquakes and KC but the Revolution and Fire are mainstays, especially Chicago’s fire crest. RSL’s mark is laughable it’s so bad. It’s a weak attempt at being an old fashioned European monogram but gussied up way too much.
looks amazing and like it could stand the test of time. i love it.
South American teams typically have logos rather than crests. Actually, only English teams have crests as we typically perceive them. Take a quick look at the Argentine and Italian leagues to see what I mean.
Also. I really like this! Simple and symbolic.
Nice logo, it will look good with heads hung down after a loss to the Sounders.
In all seriousness I do like the logo.
am i the only one that loves it?
Correction: I meant to say Germany instead of Italy.
It seems as though the people who hate it are responding to a need for it to have rounder forms and a need for balls, typical crest shapes and other tried and true graphic conventions seen in football club logos. Kudos to Whitecaps for keeping it modern, simple and yet different from most other logos. Revolution is another that was so unique when the league first launched with it’s painterly quality. It seems a little dated now but in another few decades it will come back around to being fresh.
I like it. Reminds me of Hamburg’s logo a bit.
If you look closely, not only are the mountains reflected in the water, they do so as a “V” over a “W”… “V”ancouver “W”hitecaps.
Reminds me of a ‘Gladbach or Werder Bremen logo at first glance. Not bad overall
Are you a designer? Or are you saying it’s so awful that you could do better. If it’s the latter then there’s no chance you could do better.
Am I the only one who sees the bottom as not a reflection of the mountains, but more of a V for Vancouver on top of a W for Whitecaps?
Don’t like the design at all. Too 70s for me while coming as a subtle ripoff of the VW logo.
I’m with you on the ‘Quakes, Wizards and Revolution, but I don’t think the Fire need a re-brand. I love the simple red uniforms and firehouse symbol patch.
The Revolution might have the worst patch in the history of soccer. That thing looks like it was cobbled together in a Windows95 clip-art program.
The Wizards patch isn’t as eye-poppingly amateurish as the Revs’, but it’s more vanilla than a Clay Aiken album.
San Jose’s branding reminds me of the first generation of WNBA logos.
Thank you. That is what I think.
I can see you’re point except for the fact that it says Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Don’t think anyone’s going to be mistaking it for a ski resort.
I got that. Thanks. I just don’t care for it. But hey, it’s not my club and if it were my club, I would get over it in ahurry if I didn’t like it.
Why would you want to do that?!?!? That logo is freaking great. I say keep one of the three dudes. Replace the other two with a cowboy, an indian, and then throw in a cop and naval officer. Maybe a biker, too.
Agree with most of what you’ve said except for the Revolution. It’s a little weird but it’s a good weird. They’re an original team so won’t ever change it except to refresh the shapes a bit. I actually like the C-bus’s patch as well. Very blue collar.
easily one of the better logos in the league! good job vancouver, even if they are canadian they are going to be a great addition to the league.
It’s both.
La Liga teams have crests (see marca.com).
No, that would be too obvious. Don’t get me wrong – It’s a striking design and works well with the name. It just reminds me of Sugarloaf’s current logo, and tons of other equipment, ski team, and mountain logo designs from the past.
A few of those clubs that you mentioned sport their organization’s crest, not specific to their sport.
Chelsea has not one but two balls in the crest. Albeit they aren’t a dominate focal point.
Except that I just did. Like I said, I’ve seen ski teams with very similar looking logos.
A whitecap is a water thing anyway. Why do those look like mountains?
That’s great, but a whitecap is foam blowing off of the top of a wave.
link to flickr.com
I like that this isn’t crest-shaped. If you’re founding a team in 1904, then sure: crest, lion, sword, etc. But in 2010, sometimes trying for a “classic” look can be a kind of lame attempt to create the illusion of history where there is none. Better to do something original.
I’m not a Timbers fan, but hope for their sake that they don’t change the logo much. It’s one of the best as is.
Vancouver is going to be a great town to travel to. Was there for the Olympics. Great scene for hanging out in Yaletown, and super easy to take transit and walk.
I don’t think the new Portland logo will be all too different. At least that’s what I’ve been reading.
What does the 70′s to 80′s logo look like?
These are the only older ones I’ve found
link to en.wikipedia.org
link to en.wikipedia.org
link to en.wikipedia.org
It’s got a nice simple/clean look to it. I like it.
I’m contrasting it to other MSL logos:
link to sportsagentblog.com
And the old Whitecap NASL logo:
link to sportslogos.net
And I really think it is better than the vast majority of those.
I like it
I think you mean to say that it reminded you of a ski resort or company logo not that you actually thought it was a ski logo. The thinking is to go with the looming mountain tops around Vancouver BC as the “whitecaps.” I understand that whitecaps can be both the waves and the mountains but why would you not represent whitecaps as the majestic rocky mnt peaks?
This one:
link to en.wikipedia.org
I find it quite clever, to be honest.
Additionally, I would rate most of the new crests/logos of newer franchises in MLS significantly higher than the first wave of the original clubs within MLS.
Definitely more thought and meaning going into them and it’s apparent.
Chivas is at the top of my list, followed closely by the Wizards.
As for the Fire, well, yes I can see how it’s a bit tacky. However, I think the logo is quite catchy and most felt the great fire of Chicago was a “rebirth” and sign of “perseverance” on behalf of the city.
Hence the nickname for Chicago: ” Second city “, since it was widely rebuilt.
(not that you asked for that background)
Indeed.
My point is the same. You don’t NEED one. I’d say over half of the premier league’s logos don’t have one.
Nope, you’re one of many that loves it.
The only consistent argument I’ve read so far against it, is that it “lacks a soccer ball”, which I find incredibly lame & extremely unimaginative.
7/10
I like it but it kind of reminds me of bottled water.
I like it. It’s symmetrical and not “cartoony”. You have the mountains and the sea aspect as well as the “V” and “W” in there. Good choice.
Here’s the first two thoughts I had when I first had…
1)Simple
2)Werder Bremen… ok, so that might be a bit of a stretch but still…
It’s not too overwhelming which can be a good thing… I kind of like it.
it’s not the later. yes i am a graphic designer. i work primarily with branding and packaging design. im positive a few of my friends and myself can bang out many options better than this.
steve nash if you’re reading this hook me up!
its horrible.
the typography is the worst part. if you isolated the VW and knew nothing of the vancouver whitecaps would you read it as a VW? besides that its boring. monoweight, poorly spaced, lacks dimension, and the negative spaces look unconsidered.
the “vancouver whitecaps fc” type itself is very generic. its the font “gotham bold” typed out. very creative. must have spent hours on it!
im not saying that it needs a soccer ball, a crest shape, a landmark, or some kind of animal. the idea is good. not profound but good. it just needed the designers to look at it and say “how can we make it better?” it can be a lot better.
ditto.
To me, nothing about it says football, except for FC of course. That’s fine for Joe football, but for someone who doesn’t follow the game closely, they might not have the slightest clue what this represents. A logo has to get across what it represents, that’s the point. I think this falls a little short on doing that.
Typography is really bland and monotonous as well.
My critique anyway.
I love the Chicago badge. I just hate the name. It reaks of WNBA to me. Along with I don’t get naming yourself after a tragedy? The crest should stay and that would be enough of an homage to the rebuilding of the city. But the name should change. Your mention of Second City gives an idea. Chicago SC (Second City)
Yeah they totolly cut out the waves, which got rid of half of the reason for the name!
Yes I am excited about the team getting in the mls and also their new logo.
It’s just more “Euro” wanna be crap. Vancouver FC. “Football Club”. No one in the US or Canada where the MLS exists, plays “football” we play SOCCER!
FC is so much Euro snobbery it makes me want to vomit. FC Dallas, Toronto FC it’s all Euro Bullshit, it will keep Soccer in America a lower tier sport forever. Americans want their own version of the game, not a Euro replica!
I would contest that replicating Europe has yielded much more success than trying to Americanize the game. Energized crowds in Toronto, the Northwest, and Philly all resemble the more European approach to fan-dome whereas efforts to attract soccer moms and more traditional passive and commercial American sports fans in Florida, Dallas, and KC have fallen flat.
Of course I accept that Florida has problems with many sports, Dallas’ stadium is in east Egypt, and that KC has yet to play in their new stadium. But I don’t think anyone who knows enough to read Ives expects any of those markets to rival Seattle or Toronto if given better, even ideal, circumstances.
The much maligned brands (on this thread at least) of the Revolution, SJ and co. represent the initial attempt by MLS to Americanize the game; they even tried to eliminate draws. Toronto, Seattle, Portland, and next Montreal all represent the league’s revelation they attract more young 20-somethings by keeping true to the sport’s Euro roots.
So you want our own version of the game… So, what you are saying is you want over-time until someone wins, which means it goes to pk’s, which means it’s a timed 1 v 1 race towards goal from half field. Yeah, America tried it’s own version of soccer and we were the laughing stock of the world. What American wants their own version of the game?! American’s want what the rest of the world has; Good football, futbol, calcio, voetball, soccer. Stop crying about the FC thing, just enjoy the game.. Oh, and PS Toronto is in Canada.
Stinks that Portland will be changing their logo. Their current crest would put it near the top of the league, in my opinion.
Agree 100%.
If by rebranding you mean doing away with the Earthquakes name, then that would be a mistake. Too much history there.
Love it.
great crest, is it just me or do Vancouver and Seattle seem to be the only cities that have pride in their colors? (Vancouver with blue and white, Seattle green, blue and white (and sometimes yellow, RIP sonics))
I’m sure I’m ignoring other cities, any other good ones?
Can’t say I love it but it’s fine. Compared to Philly’s logo/crest (which is absolutely beautiful and already one of the best in US sports) it’s pretty bland but it doesn’t do much to offend. I agree with the point that it’s best than most of the original MLS crests (though I like United’s and as corny as it is I do admit a fondness for the Crew’s as well).
pittsburgh for sure with yellow and black (pirates, steelers, kinda penguins) and part of NY with blue and orange (islanders, knicks)
i second that, Second City. everything you said.
Green Bay. Green and Gold
No dipwad I don’t want overtime or any of the nonsense that you invented. I don’t want my own version of the “GAME” What I want is for American fans of Soccer to stop trying to be European.
We don’t Play Football in America, we play SOCCER. And BTW idiot, Canada is in America, so is Mexico, Chile and Brazil. Look at a map sometime, America is not a country it is a continent. two in fact.