Club introduce “Fire Crown”, oval logo as they seek to rise from the ashes.
CHICAGO, IL–The Chicago Fire, or Chicago Fire FC as they are now calling themselves, are continuing to change everything with new ownership and a return to Soldier Field. Now, the logo has changed.
The change in branding is meant to reflect both the Fire as “a global ambassador to the world’s game” and the new logo, called a “Fire Crown” to tell the story of the dramatic rebirth and a city’s triumph of rebuilding from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
“As a Chicagoan, it was important to me that our new brand identity reflect the power of our city’s origin,” said Chicago Fire FC Owner Joe Mansueto. “I’ve always loved the Chicago Fire name. I think of the people who rolled up their sleeves and committed to rebuild what would become a world-class city, one that my family and I love so much. The new badge including the Fire Crown represents that spirit.”
Versions of the club’s primary colors – red and blue – will remain in the visual identity according to the club, while gray has been replaced by gold. The club will also add secondary colors of ivory and “flag blue,” a nod to the city’s beloved flag, that will be seen in future brand elements and kit designs.
The branding exercise is said to have included consultation, focus groups and surveys with fans, partners, staff and MLS conducted over a period of more than 18 months. According to the club, the process reviewed every aspect of the club’s existing brand identity. The badge, secondary marks and a new typeface were designed by creative agency Doubleday & Cartwright who have offices in Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles and were responsible for the logo designs of the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, and Inter Miami.
“The Club’s pillars – Be Chicago. Be Football. Be a Club. – are fused into the new badge,” said Chicago Fire FC President and General Manager Nelson Rodríguez. “We appreciate all the fans, partners and staff who contributed to helping us evolve the identity of the Club.”
The new badge will get its first public appearance on the Fire’s float at Saturday’s Magnificent Mile Festival of Lights Parade. The float will feature young Chicagoans from the Fire’s award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. Program, an initiative that partners with 30 Chicago Public Schools to enhance academic and social development through sport.
Fan reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly negative, especially among fans who have followed the club for more than decade. They saw nothing wrong with the original logo. Some have also noted the similarities between the new logo and that of Real Salt Lake.
THOUGHTS: If done the right way, rebrands can rejuvenate an ailing franchise (i.e. Sporting Kansas City). However, they can be mismanaged (Cardiff City) or not do enough to change the club’s identity for the better (New York Red Bulls). The new logo is truly absent a symbol or icon that represents Chicago itself like the “Big C” that the Cubs and Bears sport or something unique like those the Blackhawks, White Sox, and Bulls sport. Even the Red Stars logo is symbolic of the city flag itself. The only “crown” associated with Chicago is either Chicago businessman Arie Crown or in the lyrics of “Bear Down Chicago Bears”.
Fairly or unfairly, fans of the club who have followed since the early days will not take this logo change well and will factor things like the current front office, the fact that the firm is based in both New York and Los Angeles, and that they felt the logo change itself was unnecessary.
Whatever the branding and look of the club, the most important metric is how well they do on the pitch in 2020. That rebuild needs to be taking place now and we’ll see if it matches Joe Mansueto’s stated ambitions for the club.
