And don't those members -- those wise, business-savvy people -- have the sense to figure that things could be drastically different once the guy who was sabotaging the franchise was no longer associated with it? They need a new logo for that?
Yeah, the team certainly needed to rebuild bridges but rushing to change the logo wasn't needed. If the new owners wanted something else, that's their prerogative but they should have used a more inclusive process with buy-in from fans to avoid all of last year's unpleasantness. And if they'd taken their time, maybe they could have come up with something much better than the carabiner.
The fact you have a nickname for it would tell them that it succeeded in establishing its-self and it's identity in your mind.
Ok, but it's a negative association. When it was unveiled I went on a buying binge of gear with the roundel. And got Crew plates for the first time before the carabiner was added. So the change has cost the Crew and it's equipment providers a good bit of money. I haven't spent a dollar on gear with the new logo and am well stocked for the next few years.
I don't know the inner working of a Columbus Partnership CEO's mind, I'm not in that position (yet). What I do know is that the Precourt Logo was preventing money from being made, hence Haslam Sports Group's desire to replace it with something of their own.
Yeah, that all makes sense. Even though we here know that it was designed locally by someone who could have probably joined the STC movement, if not for a gag order, we're not the ones dropping thousands of dollars on premium seating and splashing our logos all over the stadium. In the business world, it's really those opinions that matter, like it or not. If a bunch of VIPs and other corporate suits are saying "get rid of the stench or we won't write $1.5m checks" well, the decision is obvious.
Well, we know he stuck the corporate types with the bill at the really swank restaurant. That's not exactly a way to make friends.
I believe the people he stuck with the bill were local journalists, right? I get the sense he had a hard time even finding the time to meet with other corporate types.
The story was that he invited a group of local corporate types, supposedly sponsors, to lunch and when the meal was over told the waiter it was separate checks. It was very early in his ownership, when he still visited town on occasion. As for the re-brand, I'm firmly in the camp of those who think it's lame. I understand that the logic was that the team was trying to send a signal, to completely sever any perception of a connection with an arrogant, obnoxious shithead of an owner who treated the local business community like garbage. My problem is that I don't believe it was necessary. On the front page of the Columbus Partnership website there's a photo of a luncheon table where 8 or 10 of the biggest corporate movers and shakers in town are seated and there in the middle is Dee Haslam. Between her very public presence and Alex Fisher, an extremely respected local wheel, I don't think there's any question that everyone knew the Precourt stench had been scrubbed from the building. 'As for the fans, even the most casual of casuals knew all about STC - hell, people all over the world were aware of STC - and that the team was under new ownership and was building a new stadium. Changing the logo accomplished exactly nothing in those regards IMO.
I understand the reasoning... But for the life of me I can't understnd why they had to make that awful crap . Anyone with eyes had to see that the new logo/rebrand was horrible (not even comparing it with the previous one), on its own it is awful, impractical, and horrible in every way. The fact that at the start it didn't even have the crew in it was the dogshit on top of the pile of bullshit.
People say this but I think the facts say otherwise. By the time the rebrand was rolled out, the LDC sponsorships were booked and the high priced sections and luxury suites were sold out. The Columbus Partnership crowd was already on board. So who is it they were doing this for aside from the ridiculous Tri State Marketing Plan and their stated, absurd idea that somehow Columbus SC was going to become a worldwide brand which the name Crew made even more impossible than it already is.
A couple things that might be a rehash or make no sense in reality but.... 1. Their daughter designed it. They are going to be fiercely loyal to her and her work. The design sucks. 2. We won MLS Cup earlier than expected. They planned on the rebrand with new ownership to coincide with a new stadium. That makes sense. Winning in 2020 fouled that up. They should have adapted to that scenario. Maybe they did and chose to move forward. 3. They should have shown that POS to someone who had the unbiased, independent ability to them it sucked.
I also fail to see why the team's logo would have any affect on what, for a potential sponsor, is a bottom line business decision. Is the reason why jeni's wasn't a sponsor last year because Jeni Britton Bauer felt that associating her company with any organization that had such a logo would negatively affect her ice cream sales? Was Scotts Miracle Gro thinking they might sell less grass seed? I just don't get it. The only thing I can sort of imagine is that the FO sold the pending re-brand and Croci's interstellar marketing scheme to some potential sponsors as something that would rocket the club's visibility - and, hence, that of its corporate partners - into the stratosphere. In other words, that the FO itself created a scenario that proactively and negatively associated the logo with the old regime, setting up a strawman that they knew they were about the burn down.
Probably some corporate person mentioned the negative connection with Precourt, and the rest of the Columbus business types, including the Crew FO, groupspeaked themselves into believing it. The Haslams also probably wanted their own stamp on the franchise in addition to the stadium.
Honestly, that's the single best explanation I have ever heard. "I'm into this project for something like half a billion dollars, the team belongs to me and I'll brand, re-brand and re-re-brand every other week if I feel like it"
I've gotten to the point of 'couldn't care less' about the crest. Is it pretty bad? Yes. Do I hate it less than I did upon the roll out? Yes. Does it in any way effect my life or fandom? No, not in the slightest. We're talking about an ownership group that also owns a lucrative NFL franchise whose primary logo is legitimately a picture their helmet, has been for years, and hasn't been changed during their ownership. I'm not sure what we all expected.
Not sure if this was posted here before, but this was allegedly the new browns logo in 2015 but was canned. Haslams like to make a mark. This is interesting: What you are looking at almost became the new #Browns primary logo back in 2015 before it was “pulled at the 11th hour.” (Via Michaelirwinco/IG) pic.twitter.com/hZqujF6K5R— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) October 19, 2021
I'm still buying a yellow kit this year - We have a player in Lucas who is one of the most exciting and best in the league. I care more about a jersey with his name on it than some crest.
As soon as there is merchandise worth buying I'll spend way too much money on all of it. But at this point I'm concerned about there being merch worth buying - other than the jersey.
I think part of that is just how awful Fanatics is at, well, everything. Merch for every team is not worth it. The only Crew stuff I have bought for years now has been jerseys, official player gear (rain coats, travel hoodie, etc.), and Homage.
I'll give you that Fanatics branded merch is terrible. But the adidas, New Era, Mitchell & Ness, Columbia, and other brands' offerings are quite robust on other franchise's webstores. Columbus has next to nothing from those brands, even before the rebrand.
Hopefully, this rebrand goes the way of the 2015-2019 Browns uniforms. Just hoping we don;t have a two year 1-67 stretch before then.