New club, new name
In 2019, Louisiana’s future Women’s football club had their name and badge leaked. Proof Louisville FC and its black and white logo were set up for failure before officially announcing their existence. And then, they did something untraditional for many American sports teams: they listened to fans. The club reconsidered everything and brought in a very talented designer in the world of football—Matthew Wolff.
What they came up with together is nothing short of a 180. Racing Louisville FC, draped in lavender, deep purple, and mint, stands out in a sea of traditional football clubs. A symbolic “X” to mark the crossroads that Louisville sees itself as and the iconic fleur de lis round out the rest of the new mark. I’m nothing short of a fan of Matthew Wolff’s work, but I do have to give fair marks to the positive and potentially negative sides to this redesign.
Let’s start with the good — they talked and (more importantly) listened to the fan base. It’s a surprisingly unpopular step in the design process for sports teams that almost always ends poorly (look at Leeds!). The design and aesthetic choices work well and feel more like a sister club to the Men’s USL side, Louisville City FC. One knock I would give the mark is the use of the fleur de lis. I understand that the fans take pride in it, but from a brand standpoint that mark is “owned” in customers’ minds by the New Orleans Saints. Because of that, there’s a risk that the Racing Louisville crest lacks ownability. Another area that could be improved is the use of scale with the logo. Even now looking at the favicon in my browser corner I can’t see the intricate detail that the team worked so hard to put together. That being said—is it better than the Proof Louisville FC name and logo? Without a doubt. Lightyears ahead.
But what’s next? How do you improve a crest like this? It all starts with the basics of a brand. A logo isn't a brand. A crest isn’t either. There is so much more here at play. Racing Louisville FC’s story is one of listening to fans and then acting. It gave me a spark of hope that there might finally be a US football club that proves to fans that they are valued. The brand also intentionally chose to diverge from US football norms. A minimal, but powerful crest, unique colors, and an elegant typeface. Because of this, I expected the application of the brand to empower fans, to honor the city, and to feel different.
The website, at first glance, struck me visually. It felt well thought out on the first page. Upon viewing other pages, the website falls somewhat flat. It is visually ordinary. And for a new club that’s trying to make its mark feel different, this felt like a miss. The same goes for the application on fan gear. You’ll find an assortment of unimaginative, slap-a-logo-on-it items that don’t feel unique at all. T-shirts, metal straws, lanyards, and koozies? Where’s the uniqueness of Louisville? Good football club brands embrace the city from which they were formed. Whether that means the styles of t-shirt designs or merchandise offered — Embrace. The. Culture. And once that new merch is up in the shop, give me a heads up, and I’ll pick up the best Louisville has to offer.
Was this one a homerun? Not in my book. It was an excellent crest design. Successful football brands, however, are about more than a crest. They’re about culture. It’s still early on in the life of Racing Louisville FC, and there is always time to once again listen to your fans (and I’m one of them).
