Opinion Adelaide Crows New Logo Discussion

[Peter Doherty]

Thank you for bringing that post over here, greatly appreciated.

If my two cents are welcome here, I’d like to give my opinion on the topic. I understand this stuff isn’t for me being a fan of your club’s biggest rival, but my opinions on the branding of non-Port clubs come from my enjoyment of sports design more so than liking or disliking any club so please bear that in mind. Apologies if it’s not welcome but I wanna hear what the vibes are amongst fans of the club in question.

I’m very much of the opinion that the Crows’ logo is one of the worst in the league. FWIW I would’ve had the old Port logo in the bottom half somewhere so it’s not a bias thing, it’s just that I think there’s a lot of potential in your colour scheme and going for a blue Baltimore Ravens esque logo is nowhere near the best that could be made. Hence why I put together the concept that I did, to fix the issues I had with the old Crows logo, because as a kid I struggled to really pick up that the trails behind the logo were just that. A lot of retro stuff is really in right now and I think it’s the perfect time to go for something simple that isn’t going to be dated in 5 years time like the current logo, but instead taking cues from the history the club does have and simplifying that.

In terms of the guernsey, I maintain that the Crows jumper is absolutely in the top half of home jumpers in the league, not sure exactly where though. I don’t have positive feelings when I see it, but that’s honestly a good thing. I really like dark jumpers, and bright stuff works better in moderation I find. When it comes to Port, I don’t like seeing a lot of teal on a regular basis, and probably only half of that is from a place of wanting to preserve the Port Magpies history. The other half honestly just comes down to the fact that in high doses it doesn’t look good. I figured the hoops being the only flashes of colour (bar the number) is far better than having the bright yellow on the collar and cuffs as well, and also balances the amount of red and yellow pretty equally. You could almost go white numbers on the back to really sell that idea, but it’d probably stray too far from the current jumper.

It might also be worth noting that the blue collar and cuffs as well as limiting the hoops to only two sets has already kind of been worn before, in Heritage Round 2006 and 2007. Was never a big fan of the SANFL club colours down the side on this one, and the Adidas template at that time is horrid, but the base design is very nice. Since it’s not unheard of as a Crows jumper, I’m curious how Crows fans would feel about those changes to the jumper. Would it be an upgrade or a downgrade?
View attachment 2081276

All in all, credit where it’s due to those who came up with the Crows branding in 1990. Absolutely nailed the brief of what a quasi-SA state team should look like. I think West Coast would’ve liked to do the same and be called the Perth Swans wearing yellow and black, but thanks to Perth (WAFL), Sydney and Richmond that was never a possibility. In terms of the Crows though, it’s just a shame that the logo has never really stood up to what the rest of the branding could be. Here’s hoping a really really good logo is unveiled when the time comes.

The current branding is pretty universally hated here, so no one will take offence to your criticisms.

Your insta post was from a few years back (pre Gather Round), but I think you might be on the money with a shift towards more navy. Every year we do a predominantly navy indigenous jumper, which people love. The Gather Round jumper has continued that theme. The media report suggesting a tweak to the home jumper hopefully is the cuffs and collars.

On reducing the hoops, the concern some may have is a return to the 'life saver flag' look we had with the broken hoops. Curious to know what the Sauce Jacobs version of yours looks like.

Personally, I'm someone who likes our home jumper but am very open to tweaks as part of a bigger much needed refresh.

 

[Soggy2112]

Thank you for bringing that post over here, greatly appreciated.

If my two cents are welcome here, I’d like to give my opinion on the topic. I understand this stuff isn’t for me being a fan of your club’s biggest rival, but my opinions on the branding of non-Port clubs come from my enjoyment of sports design more so than liking or disliking any club so please bear that in mind. Apologies if it’s not welcome but I wanna hear what the vibes are amongst fans of the club in question.

I’m very much of the opinion that the Crows’ logo is one of the worst in the league. FWIW I would’ve had the old Port logo in the bottom half somewhere so it’s not a bias thing, it’s just that I think there’s a lot of potential in your colour scheme and going for a blue Baltimore Ravens esque logo is nowhere near the best that could be made. Hence why I put together the concept that I did, to fix the issues I had with the old Crows logo, because as a kid I struggled to really pick up that the trails behind the logo were just that. A lot of retro stuff is really in right now and I think it’s the perfect time to go for something simple that isn’t going to be dated in 5 years time like the current logo, but instead taking cues from the history the club does have and simplifying that.

In terms of the guernsey, I maintain that the Crows jumper is absolutely in the top half of home jumpers in the league, not sure exactly where though. I don’t have positive feelings when I see it, but that’s honestly a good thing. I really like dark jumpers, and bright stuff works better in moderation I find. When it comes to Port, I don’t like seeing a lot of teal on a regular basis, and probably only half of that is from a place of wanting to preserve the Port Magpies history. The other half honestly just comes down to the fact that in high doses it doesn’t look good. I figured the hoops being the only flashes of colour (bar the number) is far better than having the bright yellow on the collar and cuffs as well, and also balances the amount of red and yellow pretty equally. You could almost go white numbers on the back to really sell that idea, but it’d probably stray too far from the current jumper.

It might also be worth noting that the blue collar and cuffs as well as limiting the hoops to only two sets has already kind of been worn before, in Heritage Round 2006 and 2007. Was never a big fan of the SANFL club colours down the side on this one, and the Adidas template at that time is horrid, but the base design is very nice. Since it’s not unheard of as a Crows jumper, I’m curious how Crows fans would feel about those changes to the jumper. Would it be an upgrade or a downgrade?
View attachment 2081276

All in all, credit where it’s due to those who came up with the Crows branding in 1990. Absolutely nailed the brief of what a quasi-SA state team should look like. I think West Coast would’ve liked to do the same and be called the Perth Swans wearing yellow and black, but thanks to Perth (WAFL), Sydney and Richmond that was never a possibility. In terms of the Crows though, it’s just a shame that the logo has never really stood up to what the rest of the branding could be. Here’s hoping a really really good logo is unveiled when the time comes.

Absolutely the logo is not good. To me it’s always looked as much like a dolphin as a Crow. I also hate the lighter blue. It’s not one of our colours, why is it the most prominent colour in our logo?

As for the jumper, I’m a big, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I also love the O’Neills version as a side note. As other posters have pointed out, we’ve had the same design our entire existence. Play around with other aspects of our branding but leave the jumper be.

Your point about darker colours is interesting. I personally like the more vibrant colours, although I agree the teal isn’t great. I think the difference is though that teal was a very “in” colour for teams when Port entered the AFL. Whereas I think red and yellow are pretty timeless.

 

[George Kramer]

That’s Ben Keays

You sure? Better ask the Clam

 

[SugarShane]

I imagine it's making the cuffs and collar Navy

View attachment 2080968

Going against the grain here but I don't like it as much.

It's obviously not going to be an issue for us any time soon but I sort of feel like if we ever win another flag, we should be wearing the same jumper (design wise) we won our other flags in.

The white outlines around the numbers, fine, looks better without it (and matches our original strip). I could deal with the cuffs though I personally think the gold looks far better. But cutting out some hoops, nah.

I really felt O'Neills first guernsey with us was perfection.

 

[jackster83]

Going against the grain here but I don't like it as much.

It's obviously not going to be an issue for us any time soon but I sort of feel like if we ever win another flag, we should be wearing the same jumper (design wise) we won our other flags in.

The white outlines around the numbers, fine, looks better without it (and matches our original strip). I could deal with the cuffs though I personally think the gold looks far better. But cutting out some hoops, nah.

I really felt O'Neills first guernsey back with us was perfection.

I like the look of the 2006-08 one, except I'd have the hoops going all the way around.

The 2012 one was good too.

 

[jenny61_99]

You're allowed to bag the raptor head now too, the club are giving it the boot.

I like it though. Why would I bag it?

 

[George Kramer]

I like it though. Why would I bag it?

I wouldn’t admit that in public

 

[Peter Doherty]

I like it though. Why would I bag it?

It is officially permissible to bag it, you don't have to continue with this charade.

I guess there is also no accounting for taste

 

[Burtonsgottago]

I like the look of the 2006-08 one, except I'd have the hoops going all the way around.

The 2012 one was good too.

Not a fan of the V-neck

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Absolutely the logo is not good. To me it’s always looked as much like a dolphin as a Crow. I also hate the lighter blue. It’s not one of our colours, why is it the most prominent colour in our logo?

As for the jumper, I’m a big, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I also love the O’Neills version as a side note. As other posters have pointed out, we’ve had the same design our entire existence. Play around with other aspects of our branding but leave the jumper be.

Your point about darker colours is interesting. I personally like the more vibrant colours, although I agree the teal isn’t great. I think the difference is though that teal was a very “in” colour for teams when Port entered the AFL. Whereas I think red and yellow are pretty timeless.

Navy neck and cuffs for the home guernsey, gold neck and cuffs for the away guernsey with white shorts. If it’s good enough for Collingwood to have minimal differences between home and away strips it’s good enough for us.

 

[1990crow]

Navy neck and cuffs for the home guernsey, gold neck and cuffs for the away guernsey with white shorts. If it’s good enough for Collingwood to have minimal differences between home and away strips it’s good enough for us.

Don't mind that. But also do like our away guernsey now.

 

[Soggy2112]

Navy neck and cuffs for the home guernsey, gold neck and cuffs for the away guernsey with white shorts. If it’s good enough for Collingwood to have minimal differences between home and away strips it’s good enough for us.

Collingwood don’t have minimal differences, it’s a complete inverse strip, and it solves all their clashes.

 

[robboaustralia]

Cornesy on 5AA.... We need a cartoon style logo He is part of the problem. We can have a cartoon logo for the kids but we need professional modern logo for the club.

 

[1990crow]

Cornesy on 5AA.... We need a cartoon style logo He is part of the problem. We can have a cartoon logo for the kids but we need professional modern logo for the club.

He's got no idea.

 

[Soggy2112]

Cornesy on 5AA.... We need a cartoon style logo He is part of the problem. We can have a cartoon logo for the kids but we need professional modern logo for the club.

Could do what Geelong do and have two logos

 

[bomberclifford]

I imagine it's making the cuffs and collar Navy

View attachment 2080968

While this is aesthetically pleasing, something has been lost from the original.

This is the thing about branding, it's not just about the design, it's about maintaining the legacy of the brand you're working on. Any designer straight out of design school can make things look good and make mockups that look nice, but the management of the process requires a whole lot of stakeholder engagement and research about what the market perceives about the brand. It is vastly more than just aesthetics.

Someone else mentioned in a previous post about not changing the home guernsey in your entire history and it's an important point. That legacy is as much a part of the AFC brand as any logo or colour palette is. It's not something that can be gotten back once gone either. It's a legacy worth preserving and fighting for. It is worth so much more than having a 'nice looking' guernsey.

In my professional opinion, the guernsey below is Adelaide FC and if I was advising them on this next stage of evolution, I would be pushing hard for this to remain untouched. The 'refined' one doesn't feel connected to the brand. Fine for a one off guernsey, or as an away strip, but not as a replacement for what is your heritage guernsey.

 

[1990crow]

While this is aesthetically pleasing, something has been lost from the original.

This is the thing about branding, it's not just about the design, it's about maintaining the legacy of the brand you're working on. Any designer straight out of design school can make things look good and make mockups that look nice, but the management of the process requires a whole lot of stakeholder engagement and research about what the market perceives about the brand. It is vastly more than just aesthetics.

Someone else mentioned in a previous post about not changing the home guernsey in your entire history and it's an important point. That legacy is as much a part of the AFC brand as any logo or colour palette is. It's not something that can be gotten back once gone either. It's a legacy worth preserving and fighting for. It is worth so much more than having a 'nice looking' guernsey.

In my professional opinion, the guernsey below is Adelaide FC and if I was advising them on this next stage of evolution, I would be pushing hard for this to remain untouched. The 'refined' one doesn't feel connected to the brand. Fine for a one off guernsey, or as an away strip, but not as a replacement for what is your heritage guernsey.


View attachment 2081899

I agree. Whilst the navy cuffs and collar looks nice, it doesnt look like us.

Our 2 flags in this guernsey have to mean something.
I'd be open to the 2 sets of hoops as a change though.

 

[Tex Danger]

Not that it necessarily should be from a brand perspective, I wonder if the tweaks being considered may be in part because of our issues with clash stip

This is relevant if it is the navy collar and cuff and/or only 2 sets of hoops options as that creates a distinctly dark home guernsey

Then our current away woukd work better as a clash (dark and bright options)

As it stands are home guernsey being a mix of dark and light means it’s a bit less clear cut re clashes and alternatives

 

[Doctor B]

Cornesy on 5AA.... We need a cartoon style logo He is part of the problem. We can have a cartoon logo for the kids but we need professional modern logo for the club.

The same Cornesy that wanted us to copy Port Powers Never Tear Us Apart with a Jimmy Barnes song.

He's lost his marbles

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

I’d be curious to see navy cuffs but keeping the yellow collar

 

[FR0GGY]

One things for sure the hoops have to be hoops not flags

 

[Peter Doherty]

One things for sure the hoops have to be hoops not flags

I flagged that yesterday.

 

[FR0GGY]

I flagged that yesterday.

I hooped someone else had the same idea!

 

[Rotayjay]

Changing the home jumper?? Why? It's our best asset?

Do they mean changing the cuffs on the sleeves to navy instead of yellow? It's about the only change that would be somewhat acceptable

If they do anything other than minor tweaks to the home guernsey, I will be pissed.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Collingwood don’t have minimal differences, it’s a complete inverse strip, and it solves all their clashes.

Black with white stripes v white with black stripes… huge difference