For sports fans worldwide, league and club logos have long been a source of identity. Not only will you see logos printed on clothing, keychains, car banners, and a myriad of other collectible items, but they are also functional on a league’s website and any press that the league may get. While it wasn’t always so, today, team and league logos are functional as well. Web developers often use a logo as a link to another page where more information can be found. If you are a fan of any of the clubs in the Premier League, or of the league itself, you just might be interested in a little bit of history on how today’s logos came to be. Here’s a look at the evolution of the Premier League logo.
In the Beginning…
No, let’s not get all biblical here! At the beginning of the Premier League logo, you will find that it’s a simple 2D graphic that marked the start of the league's branding. The first league logo we should look at is what has been titled the ‘Worried Lion’. Unfortunately, many fans and critics said it looked more like a griffin than a lion, but the droopy eyes give away its identity. Sadly, if you are trying to brand your league as winners, you certainly wouldn’t want a worried lion, would you? Perhaps you would if it could denote serious thought, but still, if you were into betting, you wouldn’t want anything that smacks of worry! As you will soon see, the current league logo is far from worried, so you can safely take a look at expert Premier League tips to see where and how you’ll wager this year.
Interim Logos
From 1996 to 2001, the league still used the Worried Lion, but what many found rather odd was that it was set in a football within a football. This is also where the whole body of the lion was used, but fans still weren’t happy that the worried look hadn’t changed. At this point, it’s essential to note that sponsors are the primary entities that need to be considered, as a significant portion of the league's funding comes from their support.
The following logo is still a concern, but it comes with a change in sponsorship. Critics argue that the various shades of blue give it a disjointed appearance, despite being a ‘pride of place’ logo. It sounds a bit comical, but they also say that it had an instead of ‘smashed look’ with the inclusion of that odd football within a football that many claimed should have been dropped.
In the next evolution, from 2004 to 2007, critics say the colors were starting to come together nicely, giving it a sense of harmony, but they did not like the fact that the smashed look of the football within the football wasn’t removed.
From 2007 to 2016, the Lions adopted a more regal image, which is what a winning league would strive for. However, many believe that if it were just the head of the lion, it would be even more regal and infinitely more confident.
Where the Premier League Logo Now Stands
The final rendition to date of the Premier League logo has finally gone with just the head. Indeed, when you look at a digital logo online, one with just the head would look and work far better as a click-through link. With this being said, this logo is the product of the digital age and has been created for use on the internet and television.
Premier League Primary Logo
There are far fewer negative comments about the current logo; however, a few critics believe it is not yet in its final form. It is said to be noble and modern, and with the use of RGB colors, it can work well in digital format. Although it wasn’t created for print, RGB colors also add the necessary flexibility to work quite well with most printers in use today.
If you are a Premier League fan, or especially a fan of one club within the league, the current logo will work well with any DIY projects you might have in mind. From printing on caps, jackets, shirts, keychains, and any other item you might have in mind, the current logo works better than any of its predecessors. Are you at all curious about what the next evolution will bring? Let’s just hope it is a logo worth being a visible brand for a visibly winning league.