The U.S. Soccer Federation today formally unveiled a "redesign of its most conspicuous symbol: the red, white and blue crest adorning the jerseys of the men’s and women’s national teams," but the organization opted to "largely bypass the traditional news media" in showing off the new crest, according to Zach Schonbrun of the N.Y. TIMES. The announcement was slated to be delivered "directly to fans via a more immersive experience -- one that involves Google Cardboard, a virtual reality promotional video" and a USSF scarf. The federation is "hoping that this unorthodox approach will help draw more attention to its first major rebranding" since '95. The USSF "planned to surreptitiously deliver packages containing the gifts" today to the doorsteps of "about 8,000 registered club supporters as well as an additional 2,000 development academy players and other soccer fans across the country." The old mark -- which "included a flying soccer ball at its center, a rippled top, and six blue stripes below a red field -- was ridiculed as dated and cartoonish." The new one is unveiled at the "end of a two-minute virtual reality highlight reel, which was shot by StriVR and contains 360-degree video from the most recent men’s national team game and the women’s World Cup." USSF Chief Commercial Officer Jay Berhalter said that the rebranding and unveiling "added up to one of the costliest marketing efforts in the federation’s 102-year history -- reaching seven figures and far outpacing a standard news conference unveiling that might cost around $30,000." The organization enlisted long-time sponsor Nike to "help formulate the look of the new crest." The new look is "more streamlined, featuring a squared upper limit and 13 vertical stripes (seven red and six white) below a dark blue field containing the block letters U.S.A." Berhalter said that the design "evokes U.S. Soccer’s original crest from 1913," but also "conveys an identity that is more modern, aggressive and patriotic" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/29).
HISTORY LESSON: USMNT F Jozy Altidore shared the new crest on "SportsCenter" this morning, saying, "I've gotten a little bit of mixed reaction on social media from some of the fans out there." He said the new crest is "really great," as it represents the "rich history in U.S. soccer." Altidore: "It embodies what our country is all about. It's simple, but at the same time it represents what we're all about. It takes out the soccer ball, which we feel like we don't need any more at this point. I think people know about the U.S. soccer teams and what we're trying to do going forward. It'll take some time to get used to, obviously, but people will be excited about it" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 2/29).
