MLS expansion club Atlanta United FC yesterday unveiled their inaugural home jersey for the '17 season, which features "five strips, two red and three back" on the front with a solid red back, according to Doug Roberson of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The team’s crest is "displayed over the heart, and its primary sponsor, American Family Insurance, is in gold across the chest with three gold stripes along the shoulders." The players' names and numbers "will be in gold," while the shorts and socks "are black with gold trim." Atlanta United players Chris McCann, Hector Villalba and Andrew Carleton "were the models for the jersey." Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank, President Darren Eales, American Family Insurance CEO Jack Salzwedel and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed "addressed the more than 2,000 people who attended" the event at The Tabernacle concert hall in Atlanta. Jerseys were "being sold in The Tabernacle, as well as the team store in Atlantic Station and online at www.atltud.com." The authentic jerseys will feature '17 "with the words inaugural season across the nape of the neck, and the crest on the front will feature a brighter gold," while the replica version of the jerseys "don’t feature those two unique elements." The club's away jersey's will be unveiled in February (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 11/16).
BRAND PILLARS: Atlanta United VP/Business Operations Ann Rodriguez said that it took the club "nearly 12 months to finalize the uniforms." However, Eales said that he and Rodriguez were "able to shorten the design process because Eales worked with Rodriguez" when he was with EPL club Tottenham Hotspur and she was with Under Armour. In Atlanta, Phil Hudson noted the five vertical stripes "represent Atlanta United’s brand pillars: Unity, Excellence, Community, Determination, and Innovation" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/15). SI.com's Brian Straus noted Atlanta United's '17 primary jersey will be "only the second in MLS featuring traditional stripes." The Impact "adopted blue and black stripes this year" after spending their first four MLS seasons in monochromatic royal blue. The Red Bulls "wore black and red stripes during the MetroStars days," while the Rapids "donned black and blue" after one of several makeovers. The Galaxy "once tried black and teal." More recently, MLS clubs and adidas, the league's uniform supplier, have "preferred to keep it simple" (SI.com, 11/15).
