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Premier League unveils toothless new corporate identity

The UK’s Premier League is awash with cash, thanks to competition between Sky and newcomer BT Sport for broadcast rights. To the extent that even so-called minnows like Leicester City can challenge for top spot, partly as they, too, can now afford to pay their players squillions.

It’s so rich it doesn’t need a sponsor now (Barclays is ending its deal this season) although, no doubt, it would take one if enough money hove into view.

So the sponsor-less Premier League has unveiled a new identity, courtesy of DesignStudio and Robin Brand Consultants.

Premier League managing director Richard Masters says: “The competition next year will be simply called ‘Premier League.’ This gave us an opportunity to review our visual identity and also to look at our brand positioning. The brief really was to look at a single unifying brand, and the organisation, and also a single unifying message, so selling what’s best on the pitch and off the pitch.

“Our current visual identity is very corporate, very blue and white like lots of other sports brands are. In terms of the [current] communication message it’s all about numbers – the amount of money we spent, the amount of pitches we built, rather than the people that play on them, the lives changed, the work that goes on off the pitch. So really it’s a fundamental shift.

“We are very pleased with the outcome: a visual identity which is relevant, modern and flexible that will help us celebrate everyone that makes the Premier League.” That’s asking a lot from a lion.

Here’s the current one.
Barclays-Premier-League-logo

And the new Leo.

PL_Logos_Colours

There’s also a new caring, sharing video here.

Sorry guys but this is dreary and uninspired, to put it kindly. Did anyone think other than ‘lion?’ Maybe they weren’t allowed to.

As for the video it’s the same old wish-fulfilling cobblers. Does the Premier League really consist of global do-gooders? Or voracious owners, as instanced by the walkout of Liverpool fans at the weekend over extortionate ticket prices.

Over at the Football League former Walkers boss Martin Glenn is in charge. Maybe they should have consulted him. They wouldn’t, of course.

MAA creative scale: 1.

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