Key Points:
1. The city of Detroit and its NFL franchise, Lions, mirror each others woes. Both are in search of wins right now.
2. The new Lions logo is a striking visual evolution likely to drive renewed interest as well as a surge in merchandise and ticket sales.
3. Also a symbolic psychological change, the visual represents a new beginning and new hope for the team and its hometown.
“Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus.”
That’s Latin for: “We Hope for Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes.” It is also the motto for the city of Detroit, Michigan.
That phrase could hardly be more appropriate than right now.
Michigan has the dubious distinction as the state with the nation’s highest unemployment rate— hovering near 13 percent. You can buy homes in Detroit’s blighted neighborhoods for less than $10,000. Even Michigan’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, admits the state’s population will likely shrink over the next five years as the state’s economy contracts.
And we all know the reason: Heavily dependent on the domestic auto industry, the economy of Michigan (and especially Detroit) is being crushed by an almost-certain bankruptcy for Chrysler, a teetering General Motors, and a got-a-stock-boost-because-we-lost-fewer-billions-than-analysts-thought Ford.
It’s pretty sad.
So what does any of this have to do with the Detroit Lions and a new team brand?
Almost in a parallel of its home city and state, last season’s Lions exemplified pitiful. They simply could not have been worse. At 0–16, the win-less Lions actually set a record for ineptitude; no other team has failed to win a single game since the league went to a 16-game schedule.
But it’s not as if the Lions simply spawned awfulness last season. In another mirror of Detroit (the city) and its failure to take action while witnessing an obvious downward spiral, the Lions have been in decline for decades. Running back phenom Barry Sanders gave the Lions some life in the 1990s, but it wasn’t enough. In the last 49 years, the team won only a single playoff game.
Painfully, I know this better than most in Vikings territory. My father was the only Lions fan for what seemed like hundreds of miles. Going to Minnesota-Detroit NFL games as a kid was, shall we say, embarrassing.
Clearly, it was time for a change.
Last week, the Detroit Lions unveiled a new logo and comprehensive brand position. As you can see when you study the new logo, it is not a complete departure from Lions logos past, but the change is significant in a few distinct visual ways.
First, while the lion “pose” has not materially changed, the added details provide movement and energy to the mark that its predecessor lacked. The teeth, mane, and leg muscles all provide that subtle bit of visual expression to bring the animal shape to life. A broader change was not necessary here; this was not like the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers logos of old. Those were god-awful; drastic change was needed. Not so with the Lions.
Second, the lion color has not changed from its “Honolulu Blue” of the past eight seasons. While I preferred the prior “darker blue” version, I agree with the designer’s decision not to change it. Color is a powerful brand identifier—especially with iconic sports franchises. Even subtle color changes can be poorly received (I’m still getting used to the “new” Vikings, even though they are still purple).
Finally, and perhaps most strikingly, the creation of the custom-designed Lions logotype rounds out the visual identity. Mimicking the shapes in the lion figure itself, the lettering provides a tie to the lion logo and can—on its own—stand up as a distinctive brand element.
Why is all of this important?
From a visual perspective, every logo needs revision from time to time. The 10-year-itch is a good rule of thumb. That means every 10 years or so, your visual brand identity should get a once-over. That doesn’t mean you always do it, but it means you think about it. Some logo designs and type treatments typify a period in time (robotic lettering in the 1980s, swoosh logos in the 1990s) and need to be updated. Even classic marks such as UPS need a freshening every so often, especially when the underlying business model evolves.
Now one could argue that the Lions moribund franchise needed to do something more dramatic. I am sure they are. But they made the right decision with the visuals. The new mark makes a break with the past without venturing out into risky territory. From a financial perspective, the revision will generate a surge in new apparel sales (pretty important for the team in the recession-struck Detroit market) and likely boost ticket sales for the ’09–’10 season.
The new brand identity also comes at the right time for Detroit.
The city needs a psychological boost. Detroit residents are likely to face years of trying economic times, blighted neighborhoods, rising crime, and general despair. They could use some good news. They could use something to get excited about.
A new logo won’t accomplish that by itself, but it is a start.
Detroit, the city, needs to come back fighting. Detroit, the NFL team, needs its roar back. And everybody involved needs some W’s this season.
I hope they get them.
Here’s my humble and hopeful scenario: The U.S. auto industry’s launch of the mass-market electric car rocks Japan and Germany. Michigan gets a real boost from stimulus money to build a thriving alternative energy economy. And the Lions finish at least 4-12. They can feel free to take two games from the Bears and two from the Packers.
Think of it as the least Minnesota can do to help.
Related Links:
Detroit Lions Official Announcement
Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment by State
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