It won't go into full effect until the 2015 MLS campaign, but if the reaction to the badge unveil for Columbus Crew SC on Wednesday night was any indication, it will be worth the wait.
Crew SC was officially unveiled to the city and the Major League Soccer community at downtown Columbus' LC Pavilion. The club is unveiling an entirely new brand, ideals which shape far more than a badge, but the mark that Crew SC will wear on its kits next season emerged as the star of the show. The badge, which was designed in-house by club employees, incorporates deep symbolism and meaning into a classy design.
Behind the Brand Part III teased the four design criteria that the club wanted to incorporate in its badge:
- Identify as Columbus' team: For the first time in club history, the name of the city is prominently displayed in the badge. The shape of the badge emulates the Ohio state flag as well as German Bundesliga clubs in a nod to Columbus' German heritage.
- Distinguish as a soccer club: The change from the Crew to Crew SC proudly identifies the Black & Gold as a soccer club.
- Celebrate history: The original crest shape is present in the heart of the badge, with a "96" on top to harken to Crew SC's status as a charter member of Major League Soccer in 1996. Also, the original crest lies over a bed of nine stripes, symbolizing the other nine charter members.
- Recognize fan culture: The checkerboard pattern is a staple of the Nordecke.
The badge was unveiled in grand fashion, with emcee and former Crew player Brian Dunseth hosting the event. Investor-Operator and Chairman Anthony Precourt, Precourt Sports Ventures President Dave Greeley, club President of Business Operations Andy Loughnane and Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter came on stage. Loughnane spoke first, followed by Berhalter, who called all of the club's players onto the stage. Then, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke, talking of Columbus' place in MLS and its role in the sport of soccer in this country as a whole. Together, all eyes turned to the following video, which brought Crew SC to life:
The launch was met with cheers as the players on stage removed their jackets to reveal t-shirts with the Crew SC logo emblazoned across the front. Precourt then engaged in a Q&A with Dunseth to discuss the symbolism behind the badge as well as to announce, along with Mayor Michael B. Coleman, that the club would be investing $100,000 to create an authentic Columbus food and retail experience at Crew Stadium.
It was a deluge of energy and positivity for a club that is seeking to progressively move forward.
"We need to live and breathe [this brand] every day," said Precourt. "This isn't just the changing of a crest for us. It's the changing of our ... mission statement, what we stand for as a club and our values. It's how we're going to conduct ourselves in terms of being ambassadors and living the brand on and off the field, day in and day out. It really reset things."
Commissioner Garber commented on the unveil being the latest mark of success in Precourt's ownership of the club.
"Anthony's done a great job," said Garber. "He's come in a very short timeframe and brought new energy to the club. He's rallied the fans. You don't generally see the guys in the suits get cheered like the players do ... Here, Anthony comes down and really drives the passion of the fanbase. He cares about the club, he has a grand plan, a big vision ... He's put together a good coaching staff and he has players feeling great. I'll do anything I can to support this city, support Mayor Coleman, who has been a big supporter of the League, and obviously support Anthony."
As for the mark itself? It has full approval from the players and staff, who can't wait to wear it in 2015.
"I love it," said Wil Trapp. "Everything about it, it culminates the Crew and culminates what we're all about. With the new owner, new team, new coach, [it has] the freshness and the new energy that we needed."
