In the realm of professional sports, a team’s identity is an important aspect to the organization’s success. The identity’s main component is the logo. A logo is what comes to one’s mind when a team name is spoken, heard, or thought of. The colors, symbols, characters, and forms are all parts of the logo that becomes paired with the team name. More specifically, in football, a team logo should be attractive to the specific city, be universally accepted, and be easily viewable on-screen and off. Doing so will lead to the success of the organization’s branding. Upon researching NFL (National Football League) team’s logo, I came across a logo that was disturbing and unfitting. This was the 2020 version of the Los Angeles (LA) Rams’ logo. The LA Rams’ newest logo does not appeal to the target audience, is confused with other brand logos/identities, and is focused too much on the modernist aesthetic commonly found in Los Angeles.
The Rams’ identity is in two parts. One is the main text-focused logo, and the other is the ram animal-focused logo. The main logo consists of a slanted and sleek “L” and “A”. The letters are white with a subtle curve at the right-end edge of the “L”. The “A” is the more complex part of the design, consisting of two layers and a blending of colors. The right leg of the “A” is layered on the rest of the “A” structure, creating a slight shadow on the bottom layer. The leg then curves back into the background and below the “L” of the design. In addition, as the curve leaves the “A” structure, it blends into a bright gold and down into a darker gold silhouette. The curve also has additional lines that create a geometrical and three-dimensional affect. The designer’s goal was to incorporate a modernistic design that represented a ram’s horn. The same horn graphic is part of the animal-focused logo. The ram-based logo is used for advertisements, merchandise, and other team brandings. It utilizes the same modern form of the horn and adds a secondary horn and ram head. The core outline and rendition is inspired by the original ram that was used when the organization was founded in 1936. Both logos are supported by a royal blue background.
Now that there is a greater idea and visualization of the logo, one can see the cons behind it. The driving force behind the success of each professional team comes from its fanbase. The Rams’ design team was unsuccessful in creating a logo that would hold on to their fanbase, please them, and gain acknowledgement from others. Football fanbases love beer, tailgating, and getting down and dirty. The new logo’s bright colors and artistic form does not connect with this lifestyle. The design team may have thought that Los Angeles is different. Los Angeles is known for its cool, clean, and crisp aesthetic. The creation of the logo may also have been inspired by the desire to attract the hip culture. Despite any reasoning, the result was an angry fanbase. In addition, many believed that the logo could fit better in a different industry. The wrapped horn around the text was too similar to that of the Internet Explorer logo. Twitter exploded with memes of the logo appearing as a symbol for TV news, the Chargers football team, and many others. Overall, the cons should weigh heavy on the design team after such a bad reaction.
Despite the many cons that the newest LA Rams logo has developed, there are some pros. The simplistic and modern style is universal. This makes it easier for viewers to see the logo on TV, become an attractive stamp on merchandise for some, and give historical fans a nostalgic feeling. Every bit of sports news and games can be seen through a technological screen now. The advancement of technology has been exponential; therefore, it may have been a wise decision to adhere to that. The simplicity of the text-based logo may make manly tailgaters throw up their beer, but it would satisfy to those watching on-screen. Logos with too much detail may not show up well. The modern or minimalist fashion has also been a popular style these days, especially in Los Angeles. With the new logo on Rams’ merchandise, the people of LA can mix it in easily with their outfits. The last pro is history based: LA Rams fans that understand the history behind the organization will appreciate the design’s inspiration. The core of the ram-based logo design is used from the original 1941, 1944, 1946, 1951, and 1970 renditions.
In conclusion, my overall impression of the new LA Rams’ logo is that it needs much improvement. It was eye-catching in a disturbing manner. The colors were too vibrant. I much preferred the previous gold and navy. The ram also seemed too long vertically, unlike the 2000 and 2017 rams. The biggest error was the design’s inability to fit in with a football audience. It had beauty and simplicity, but no grittiness and athletic-feel that comes along with football. The cons outweigh the pros by a great margin, and I am confident that a rework of the design can still meet the pros mentioned. I suggest going back to the 2017 design or start from scratch while taking into consideration the 2020 adaptation flaws.
Work Cited
Let’s all Choose the Best Los Angeles Rams Logo Ever – SportsLogos.Net News. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://news.sportslogos.net/2020/07/10/lets-all-choose-the-best-los-angeles-rams-logo-ever/
Rams are wisely keeping their options open with both new logos. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2020/03/24/la-rams-new-logos-options-midfield-merchandise/
Jaime, N. (2020, March 24). The L.A. Rams Revealed Their New Logo and Fans Were Not Into It. Los Angeles Magazine. https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/rams-new-logo/
