When winning teams go through a rebrand they have to walk a tight line between bringing in new energy and excitement without disregarding the past. On Tuesday the Sounders did just that. Sounders FC unveiled a new logo and crest that brought excitement and energy toward the future while acknowledging the team’s rich history.
“Today marks the culmination of much careful, contemplative, and thorough work, and it is incredibly rewarding to now introduce Sounders FC’s brand evolution,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer.
“It was a dream achieved to bring the Sounders to Major League Soccer in 2009, but, like many of our fans, my love for the club started long before its MLS era. As Sounders, our past runs deep and proud, and that’s why we’re especially pleased to introduce this new visual identity, which isn’t so much a change as it is an evolution that more faithfully encompasses the entirety of the club. Every element in the brand now connects directly to our history. We are thrilled to continue building the Sounders legacy under our new crest as we celebrate our 50th anniversary and look ahead to the next 50 and beyond.”
UNIQUE CREST
The brand evolution the team is calling it is the beginning of the team’s 50th anniversary which will hit full stride in 2024. The team’s new crest is elegant, clean, and classic. The team was able to create a one-of-kind badge that modernized the Space Needle while adding “ 1974” as an explicit call to the Sounder’s founding year.
Along with the crest come new wordmarks and secondary marks, incorporating an entirely unique font custom-built for Sounders FC. New tertiary marks include a playful, resilient orca, a carnation rooted in history, bold 74, along with an abbreviated SFC monogram. Each tertiary mark has significance to the club’s past, with the ability to be utilized in a wide variety of applications, from club moments and campaigns to apparel and special designs.
COLOR SCHEME REMAINS
The team kept its color scheme of “Eternal Blue, Forever Green,” while slightly adapting the tones of Rave Green and Pacific Blue to be more wearable and adding a new shade of blue called Heritage Aqua, which outlines the crest and hearkens to the original Seattle Sounders color palette.
FAN INPUT
From the beginning of its inception, the Sounders organization has been about fan engagement, the community, and its players. In developing the evolved identity, Sounders FC plugged into the club’s “Democracy in Sports” ethos. Championed by Drew Carey as a condition to joining the newly minted Sounders FC ownership group in 2008, Democracy in Sports is a pillar of the franchise and ensures that fans of the team are empowered to have a real, tangible say in the organization with the right to determine the overall course of the club. This meaningful piece of Sounders FC’s culture is showcased in a variety of ways and played a critical role in the club’s March to the 50th project, which engaged fans to explore the club’s brand identity ahead of the organization’s 50th anniversary in 2024.
BIG TAKE
The Sounders stayed true to their values by acknowledging and honoring the past and drew energy and purpose for the future. The club held an invite-only celebratory event at Seattle’s Museum of PoPopP Culture (Mo POP). Former and current players were invited to the classy shindig that included free food, drink, and tee- shirts. The energy in the room celebrated the club’s past achievements with a look toward a bright future.
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