It takes a lot of effort to be a well-known and champion-winning football club, but it takes a lot more to stay true to their identity. So when Juventus, one of Italy’s oldest and most successful clubs, dropped their new logo and identity on January 17 in their Twitter account, the die-hard fans have differing opinions about the major change.
Life is a matter of Black and White. #2beJUVENTUS pic.twitter.com/qQgiPf0nKV
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 16, 2017
Working with Interbrand, the Turin-based football club decided to drop their classic crest sporting the iconic silhouette of bull and stripped the stripes, and instead go for a flat and minimal logo featuring the club’s initial in black and white.
Juventus is not the only one who went to great length to revamp their identity. Football is always changing and advancing. Everything that happens between the games and the fields, the players and the clubs, is a business to supporters, football pundits, and business partners. Re-branding a club with more than decades of history is a tricky process, but Interbrand seemingly wanted to bet on the simplicity of the logo.
First off, we’ll admit that our first impression of the logo wasn’t that great. Other than the Juventus name above the initial “J”, the new logo looks like an apparel brand instead of football club logo. Bid adieu to the shield-like shape and stripes—the only things that make the old logo a timeless classic. The initial “J” was composed to resemble the stripes, but the gap between the white and black stripes look jagged instead of smooth—and that doesn’t look good. It was a really bold move, too, to sport simple geometrical shapes, because honestly it looks like Juventus now belong to the Bundesliga. At this point, it’s hard not to roll eyes at the new logo.
However, no matter how minimal (or effortless, some fans say) the design is, there are some things that are worth noting (and why the logo actually works).
The departure of the bull
Stripping the Turin’s bull works effectively to differentiate the club to its neighborhood club, Torino FC. We know that the bull is historic, and for the record it’s always been an icon to the club, but the distinct new logo will be more likely to set Juventus ahead from its competitors.
The versatility of the logo
The new logo presents a combination of an unconventional approach in utilizing the custom typeface which, surprisingly, looks sleek across platforms—from print to digital. And we really like the versatility.
The friendly logo
It is important to stay relevant to the loyal supporters, while at the same time staying true to the club’s identity and core principles. The new logo, however, serves as a reminder that it is important to reach out a wider range of audience, too. Juventus is all about sport, but it’s not exclusive to only loyal fans of football or sport in general. In order to appeal new, younger fans and entertainment enthusiasts alike, opting for a simple logo is a great far-sighted plan.
Fans may disagree, but we think the re-branding is going to set out the vision of the club—or perhaps other football clubs, too—in the years to come. Think of it as a great leap forward.