Burn rebranding? Here is a good article concerning rebranding. http://www.3rddegree.net/thirdindex.cfm?page=article&show=226 First of all I say keep the Burn name. Incorporate the current logo into the new logo and keep red & black. As Viking points out in the article this way your current Burn gear wont become obsolete. Although orange might be a good choice if management is hellbent on a color change. As for using the "Tornado" name this wont work because Frisco has a minor league hockey team called the Tornados. Using "Fiero" may translate well in spanish but it sounds like crap in english. Not to mention opening up the door for countless broken down car jokes as well as the dallas pintos, gremlins, and other pos car references. And we are in an english market so the name should sound good in english first.
Re: Burn rebranding? Pittsburgh has done well with its major teams all sporting identical color schemes.
Excellent topic as we move to Frisco. I agree w/ most of what Viking had to say; however, as a bilingual person as well, Dallas Fiera BURN stinks! Forget that there is no aliteration; never mind two separate languages bastardized(sp) into a phrase it just plain stinks ! Fiera literally translate to Fierce not Savage (Salvaje). Think about it Burnt fierce? Kudos on integrating the old w/ the new. Minimizing the horse and incorporating the shield/crest w/ the letter D is a stroke of Genius. I hope that we keep the name BURN and color. Good article by Viking and a better read. http://www.3rddegree.net/thirdindex.cfm?page=article&show=226
Re: Burn rebranding? I agree 100%; keep the name and colors, change the logo but incorporate the pegasus into it.
Re: Burn rebranding? I actually think the name is the only part they really need to change. "Burn" Hopefully they'll change it to Devils or Diablos or something. Then they can keep the colors and the logo. But I do like the idea of taking the current logo and making a crest of it. Keep the colors!
Re: Burn rebranding? Aghhh I HATE "Diablos". I dont know why but I just dont like that name. This of course is just one mans opinion.
Re: Burn rebranding? According to GE at the meeting the chance of a logo change is 100% and considering his remark about how a winged fire-breathing horse didn't identify with the city or the region I would say going away from it is just below 100%. I wasn't for a rebranding until the last few weeks. In my opinion, the Dallas Burn brand is a negative one for the casual soccer fan in the Metroplex and the club would be better served starting completely afresh in Frisco with a new name, logo and colors. To combine a western theme with a Hispanic theme, I would choose the Dallas Vaqueros and choose a light color blend that will suit the club in the tough summer heat (orange and white would be my choice). And make the logo/crest/emblem something that incorporates the state colors and the lone star.
Baloon man, I'm with you on that one. I just don't see Dallas Burn Fiera being accepted by either Spanish speaking or English speaking fans. It comes across as pandering to the Hispanics and just plain confusing to gringos. Personally I think the name HAS to remain the same. Sure it sucks, it doesn't make sense, but its OURS. Plus, I would hate to see the mainstream backlash and confusion if the name changed. I can hear it now from the soccer haters, "I told you the Burn wouldn't last, and this new franchise, the Caballeros, they won't last either". And from the uninformed, "The Caballeros?? I wonder what ever happened to the Burn? My kids loved Jason Kreis, they don't know any of these players." With the budget that the average MLS franchise has to work with, I can't imagine a marketing campaign big enough to avoid these scenarios, and certainly not one they can afford. I wouldn't mind a color change or a logo change. I know a lot of folks like the red and black, but I don't think a color change is that big of a deal. Plus, the league needs an orange team.....and I think we could be it. Burn...orange....maybe it doesn't make much sense, but neither does the name Burn. Oh yeah, I love the idea of a crest in the shape of a "D".....that's awesome, Viking. edited to add: I have no idea what a "Caballero" is, but I used it just for example purposes. If its derogatory or meaningless I apologize.
Re: Burn rebranding? Seems Dallas is caught between a rock and a hard place. It does seem like the Burn need some sort of rebranding, and it needs to coincide with the new venue. However, if the name changes, then the team may have to work with that expansion team stigma, even though it isn't an expansion team. It'll seem like a new team, and if it isn't good right out of the gate, then it's as doomed as the Las Cruces Potrillos of the PDL. As much as I'm surprised to say this, the MLS logos have grown on me. Eurosnob that I am, I still like DCU's crest (and kits) much, much better than any other team. I think the team name "Burn" sounds alright though. I'm used to it. It's tradition. Blazers would be alright, too, though. Gets the same point across, and the name has been used for a basketball team and a hockey team. Also, as much as the fire breathing horse sits alright with me, maybe it needs to get a subtle update. It is kind of '90's-ish and X-Gameish. Soccer is not an xtreme (sic) sport. I'm sick and tired of team names on the front, as well. Just stick to the seal and you'll look great. Great colors, great kit, just keep the shirt blank. Sorry for these random thoughts, but one final one: just wait and see. I think everything will turn out alright for the club.
Re: Burn rebranding? Now this is getting a bit off topic, but as far as team names on the front, I think it would be a mistake to change that aspect of MLS. One of the league's biggest goals is to grow soccer as a spectator sport in this country. If you remember back to when you first started watching soccer on TV (not that long ago for some of us), it can be difficult to figure out which team is which, if you aren't that familiar with kits/colors/sponsors. In fact, FSW has begun showing the kit colors next to the team names in the score graphic for this very reason. Anything that can be done, within reason, that allows the soccer neophyte to follow the game quickly is a plus in MLS's view. Keeping the team names on the front of the shirt does this in an easy, cheap, and not terribly offensive way for soccer purists.
Re: Burn rebranding? How about just DALLAS SC. Who needs a stupid, gay nickname? Incorporate the damn horse into the crest, keep the colors and lets roll.....
Re: Burn rebranding? Like my daughter says"Daddy, Which one are we...." referring to what team to cheer when we are watching a match when the Burn is not involved.
Re: Burn rebranding? Dallas Burn FC? I would like to see the FC or SC worked into the mix. And maybe adding FC or SC would be the best of both worlds. A name change while keeping the old name.
Re: Burn rebranding? Here we go again... I like the mix of the classical (better said than old) w/ the new. but let's keep it American buddy Dallas BURN SC.
Re: Burn rebranding? It would have to be SC, not FC. FC is just eurosnob crap. Its not called football here, and that isn't changing, I don't care what letters you put after the name. And if the hispanics and euro lovers don't like soccer, we can just tell them that SC stands for Sporting Club.
Re: Burn rebranding? You haven't been on the edge of your seat every game since '96, have you? Diablos, I mean really.......give me a friggin break
Re: Burn rebranding? I think one of the bigger mistakes MLS has made has been to constantly chase after the non-soccer fan at the expense of the soccer fan. So, in order to appeal to the non-soccer fan they tried as hard as possible to make the sport as much like other American sports as possible, apparently having never heard of differentiation. This has been a failing strategy because the non-soccer fan is likely a lost cause and many soccer fans are turned off by an overly Americanized version of the sport. And as we saw with the the huge attendance of the Champions Tour last summer, if MLS simply tapped into the soccer fans they would be well off. I mention this because Dallas SC would probably be well embraced by the soccer fan community, whether they watch on FSW or played in youth soccer. However, it will be instantly dismissed by the powers that be because it isn't something a non-soccer fan would get. Dallas Athletic or Dallas AC would also be a nice choice.
Re: Burn rebranding? I can hear the jokes now. The INFERNO Dallas Athletic Supporters (playing on jock strap)
Re: Burn rebranding? Dallas AC or Dallas Athletic Club sounds like a health club. Dallas Burn SC..... I like it. it is gaining steam DBSC!
Re: Burn rebranding? I'll say it again, and maybe more empatically this time. There isn't a team in this league that has the organization, the $$$ or the media attention to pull off a renaming effort without causing mass confusion, not to mention mainstream sport ridicule. Think of it this way, HSG decides to change the name to Dallas Athletic (first one I saw when looking at the thread, but it could be any name other then Burn). So, they hold a press conference to announce the name. Who attends? Buzz, Steve Davis, Lopez (the FW Telegram guy), Brad Sham, Sturm and if they are really lucky one of the local TV stations...maybe. The story is buried on the 3rd page of the DMN Sports section, accompanied by an editorial by Gerry Frawley about how pro soccer doesn't work in Dallas. Maybe Sturm mentions it during his show, which sparks a debate about soccer's support amongst sports fans in Dallas, which then devolves into a conversation about who is the hottest weather girl on TV. Add to that a billboard on the tollway and a few ads in the newspaper and the radio. And that's it....that's all you are going to see about the renaming. In other words a very large portion of the DFW area won't get the message, and they certainly won't get the message the way HSG would intend for it to be distributed. Compare the above scenario with what happened when the Oilers moved to Tennessee and changed their name to the Titans. Every media outlet worth anything in the entire state of TN came out. Front page story on every newspaper, led the evening news broadcasts. Billboards all over town, TV ads, radio ads. Heck, ESPN does a 5 minute SportsCenter segment on it. There isn't a person in the state of TN who is even casually interested in the NFL that doesn't know about the Titans. See what I'm saying here? A renaming would be a PR/marketing disaster for this club. A huge mistake..............all this is my opinion only, of course, so feel free to blast me.