Fort Lauderdale Strikers Reveal Primary Logo
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers revealed their primary logo Sunday evening at a logo release party at the Centennial Riverfront Celebration.
In January, NASL CEO Aaron Davidson told IMS that Rich Levy had been secured to design the new logo. Levy, of [ 343RLP+ ], formerly served as the Creative Director for Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing.
“Rich has been hired to assist us in our efforts to relaunch the NASL brand in all respects,” explained Davidson. “He’s also helping us with our Fort Lauderdale Strikers relaunch.”
According to Pieter Brown of Miami Soccer Fan, who attended the event: The shield highlights the classic hoops of the legendary Strikers. The hoops have been the primary identity of the Strikers for generations. To this day people all around South Florida recognize the red and yellow hoops as the Strikers. Around the shield Rich brought in the columns that can be found at Fort Lauderdale Beach on Las Olas and A1A. These columns help identify the Strikers as Fort Lauderdale’s team.
The logo reveal seems to complete the journey the Miami FC Blues have taken to rebrand themselves as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The team had previously revealed a secondary logo, when they renamed themselves. They have stepped up marketing of the team, which was a major complaint of supporters of Miami FC, and have recently named Tim Robbie as president of the organization. Robbie is son of former Strikers owner Joe Robbie and was once GM of one of the former incarnations of the original team.
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were originally launched with the old NASL from 1977-1983. They formed again in 1988-1994, playing under the American Soccer League, and played under the USISL from 1994-1997.
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It’s simple, it’s clean, and it’s traditional looking, without looking “old” if you know what I mean. You have to really hand it too Traffic for the work that’s been put into this rebrand. The pro soccer fans all over North America who have spent the last few years dumping all over Miami FC (and rightfully so) about their organization and attendance are going to be in shock over what they see starting April 9th and continuing all season.
The last piece of the rebrand is coming up tomorrow night at the Hard Rock with the jersey unveiling. I will be there and I can’t wait! The Strikers are back, and South Florida is going to be definitively back on the pro soccer map!
It looks like the sign outside a city limits. Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale! Retirees Welcome! They should have Kiwanis and other local organization’s logos on it as well.
That said, it’s still better than FC Clip Art (New York).
“It looks like the sign outside a city limits.” I had similar thoughts. Too funny!
At least the soccer ball on it doesn’t look *exactly* like every other buckyball. All in all, I like.
I like the new logo. It will be interesting to see how they incorporate the new shield into their jersery. They have done a much better job of creating reasons for the team to be in the news and that has been a huge improvement.
Now I really wonder what effect the marketing/rebranding of the team will have on attendance. The team has really pushed ticket sales with their special pricing for season tickets and the first home game. Does anyone have any numbers on season tickets sold or even single ticket sales for the home opener?
Jim, the last number I heard on season tickets was over 600 sold, and that was 3 or 4 weeks ago. Last season as Miami FC they had like 35 season ticket holders and averaged like 1100 fans per game. Do the math on that and we should see a significant improvement in overall attendance.
As for the logo, it’s nice. Everything from the old Strikers identity is there, just in a nice new package. Very classy.
GO STRIKERS!!
You may find this hard to believe, but I think that’s an absolutely fantastic logo. The only issue I can see is that it incorporates a large amount of colors; I’d be interested to see how it simplifies. Otherwise, this is brilliant, and is easily the class of the NASL team logos.
I see NASL has quietly (unless I missed it) started using a new logo. It’s definitely a lot cleaner than the recycled 70s logo.
I did some math awhile back and determined that the Miami FC home average attendance for 2008 – 2010 COMBINED was approx. 3,900. The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers are going to easily beat that this year. Opening day is going to be unbelievable. The team has had the right strategy for filling up the stadium opening day. Not only are the season ticket sales at numbers I think even Traffic didn’t expect to reach this year, combine that with the $10 reserved price for adults and $7 for kids for opening night, and you are going to see a crowd the size of which has not been seen since the final season of the Fusion.
Then the key is going to be the experience for the fans. Fun atmosphere and a good time at the stadium are important. But as we all know, the more casual South Florida fans respond best to one thing – and exciting, and WINNING product on the field. Abe Thompson has come in this preseason looking as good as he did in the last half of last season. If they can get one or two guys to step up and be more consistent along with him on the attack, this team is going to easily be one of the top four in the league. Go Strikers!!!!
It is very interesting. It’s distinct. It doesn’t remind me of any other soccer shield/logos that I can think of.
For some reason when I see it though–it makes me think of a microbrew or some other sort of trendy beer label.
I’m not sure why but it makes me wanna down a nice, cold brewski…
I am so jealous of that logo. Gorgeous. Can they just send Rich Levy up to MN for a rebrand when he’s done in Ft. Lauderdale?
Good job Strikers! Obviously the best one in the league.
My first impression is that it’s not my favorite for a handful of reasons – butterscotch yellow and the buckeyball – but that’s just personal preference and I’d never claim I have good taste in these matters. It looks well thought out and gets bonus points for being distinctive.
@yanki – now that you mention it, doesn’t this logo have certain similarities to the Free Beer Movement logo? Semicircle base + flat top; similar colors; both flanked by vertical accents on both sides.
http://www.thefreebeermovement.com/
Great logo. The “buckyball” is actually not. It does not have the hexagonal shape. Instead, its circles that meet to form a rough star shape, which is reminiscent of the NASL logo and champions league ball, AND the buckyball. I like the way they did that. It doesn’t look cheesy. The font is nice. Strikers have it goin’ on thus far. It’s better than a lot of the team in MLS have (I’m lookin’ at you, Revs). I also like how they spell out “football club” instead of the trendy “fc”. Nice job!
BTW, they secondary, baseball-esque second logo is pretty nice, too.
Don’t know if anyone saw the hat mockup I did back when the secondary logo was announced.
It’s OK. They got the colors right and the fonts right and its OK. But I prefer more imagery in a logo– this is all words on a shield. For example, I like the baseball-esque ‘FLS’ secondary logo, particularly laid over red and yellow hoops–the letters become a symbol. (Nice Team Battleflag concept there, BTW).
And speaking of symbols, I’m not sure about the beach columns from Las Olas as a ‘symbol’ for Fort Lauderdale either– how about palm trees instead? I mean, who is going to get this somewhat-obscure local reference outside of South Florida? (Heck, how many Floridians will ‘get it?’)
But what the hell. I suppose using a cruise ship as a ‘symbol’ of the city on the new logo, is probably out of the question . When it comes to local landmarks, apparently nothing quite says ‘Fort Lauderdale’ like stumpy beach columns.
It’s OK. It will do. I’m blogging about the new Fort Lauderdale Strikers at jedisoccer.blogspot.com so come check it out. Soccer fun and some soccer humour too. And also FC Barcelona and DC United and anything wacky that Ray Hudson may utter. I’m having fun, come check it out.
Not bad.
Actually, I’m a big fan of the secondary logo. Any word on what logo they’re going to wear on the shirts?
@Corvus – I certainly get your point about the pillars from Ft. Lauderdale Beach. having lived in this area for over 35 years I can tell you that most locals would probably recognize them. But I’m guessing someone with say-so, Mr. Robbie perhaps, just liked them, so they got included. There really isn’t a single Ft. Lauderdale “landmark” that is as identifiable as say St. Louis’ Arch, or the Golden Gate Bridge, so whatever they picked would be mostly obscure anyway. As of palm trees, I’m glad they didn’t go with those. Talk about being TOO cheesily cliche.
@CoconutMonkey – My guess is they will probably have this main crest on the jersey, not the secondary one, which I happen to love as well. BQ’s hat mockup with the secondary one is real sharp. But we’ll know tomorrow night for sure anyway as the team is having a jersey unveiling party for season ticket holders at the Hard Rock in Hollywood. I’m certain we’ll see the primary crest on the jersey, and I’m hoping for BQ’s suggestion of seeing the new NASL logo on the sleeve as well. I also hope they didn’t shrink the hoops too much!!!
@StrikersReturn– Yeah, you are right– palm trees -would- have been too cliche. I still prefer more imagery and less words but at least this logo is -dignified-, I really hate those cartoon-based team logos (like the old Rowdies logo for example). As I said– this will do.
Wow– *two* crispy new logos for a team yet to play its first match.
Speaking of which: Can we start a movement to refuse to call FC Tampa Bay anything but ‘Rowdies’ until they get with the program and re-name the team? I know they have legal issues & stuff but, honestly, work it out. The future success of the Strikers will largely depend on having a health Euro-style football derby with Tampa Bay, like in the old days, so the sooner Tampa Bay gets its act together, the better for the Strikers. Weirdly enough.
Oops, I meant ‘healthy’ euro-style football derby…
@Corvus – Not only does Tampa FC getting the Rowdies trademark back help the Strikers, it helps the entire league. The more brand power and recognizability you’ve got at the D2 level, the better your chances of scratching out survival in these first few critical years. It’s been speculated in other spots that now that Davidson is free from the day to day of the Strikers and has his focus squarely on the league along with the new commish, perhaps he could get involved in the negotiations between Tampa and that Texas firm. Because really, at the end of the day, it’s just about money. The right price needs to be negotiated, and the Rowdies will be back in place.
But anyway, my mine point is I truly believe it is of benefit to the entire league for Tampa to be able to play under the Rowdies name.
*main point that is, heh
@Strikers Return– I totally agree. It’s always about money, isn’t it? The old Tampa Bay- Ft. Lauderdale rivalry was one of the best (well-attended) derbies in the old NASL and it can be again. But they are going to need every advantage to survive as a start-up D2 side. Traffic Sports is obviously milking the nostalgia angle for everything they can, and who can blame them? This rebirth of the Strikers has been so much fun and they haven’t even played a single match yet. Imagine if they actually start winning!
So, the final piece of the ‘nostalgia’ strategy, is resurrecting the derby with the Rowdies, and not with the souless sports-cipher now currently in place in Tampa Bay. Maybe we will call them, the ‘ Tampa Bay Placeholders.’
Strikers fans– demand the return of the Rowdies, so that we can hate them yet again!