Crest Review

[Ian.]

I bought some new merchandise just after Christmas, a nice blue sweater with a couple claret and blue horizontal stripes, quite plain with a simple stand alone lion. It’s bloody lovely.

I’d have been happy with a stand alone lion on the shirts to be honest.

[KevinGage]

For me the problem isn’t so much the badge itself (which I do hate but it’s not as big a deal as some other stuff), it’s what the process and outcome say about honesty and competence - which in turn makes me concerned about more important areas.

Indeed. It looks like a half arsed rushed job.  If they (and I mean Heck and his team here, rather than the wider club) skimp on that what else will they skimp on.

[olaftab]

No offense mate but that's bollocks (not the bit about your choices)

The reason we don't shift merchandise like the others is because we've been a crap football team for ages.

We could have Mickey Mouse pulling off Pluto for a badge and if we won the league you'd have kids up and down the country proudly sporting it.

Again, no offence, but that is bollocks. Sporting success and successful brand identity go hand in hand. I’ve got no idea whether the New York Yankees or Chicago Bulls are any good at the moment, but their merchandise is everywhere. Having a clear, bold visual identity is key. I wrote previously that I haven’t really bought any merchandise since the Lerner crest came in. If I’m like that as an ardent fan, what must the casual fan be like?

You’re both dogs bollocks and I bet can’t wait to pull off each other😊

[AngelsRightBoot]

For me the problem isn’t so much the badge itself (which I do hate but it’s not as big a deal as some other stuff), it’s what the process and outcome say about honesty and competence - which in turn makes me concerned about more important areas.

I agree with this. I find it very difficult to think that this leaked badge went through a vigorous design process. It seems a bit amateur to be honest.

I want to see the process, the design pitch or case study and thought process for this design. It just screams of putting though elements from the survey into one badge without any design skills.

“Grab a shield, words “Aston Villa”, historical date, the star and a lion… looks ok but it needs to stand out… hmm how about a drop shadow on the lion? Perfect!”

Quite worrying… but we got a clue with Heck 150 logo done on canva pro.

I hope he’s good at other aspects because if this is the badge, it’s pretty poor.

[Bad English]

Devinyls "Touch Myself" will absolutely be the most requested song at Karachokey.

And Pictures of Unai" by The Who.

[algy]

Does anyone even know what the Real Madrid badge looks like? I don't, and it doesn't matter because I know how many European Cups they've won.

Yes 😂

RM's is iconic.

Circular with a crown on top.

Blue sash behind the club's initials.

This is it:

In fairness that's just about the best out there, and look what good it's done them.

It is very simple but effective

Just like their supporters..

Well, the "simple" bit is anyway.

[algy]

Anyway, I'm confused.

This Karachokey place. Do you have to sing karaoke whilst wanking, or do you wank whilst someone else belts one out (as it were), or is it just they play the karaoke instrumental and then you listen to that backing track, and everyone else's fapping is the "song"?

[Des Little]

Some good questions there, Algy. I think we need to set up a focus group to thrash them out, as it were.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm wondering who is responsible for the new crest. I can't see Dragon Rouge, the small London design agency that produced the first new crest knocking up this one. They are shortlisted for the original work in the Leisure and Sports category for the Transform Europe Awards. The latest offering looks like it's been knocked together in-house or by Randy Lerner's granddaughter. My guess is in-house.

[PeterWithesShin]

[purpletrousers]

It's just hiding in plain sight isn't it?

We did the lion and AV below in that 69/70 kit, it often seems to get missed off badges over the years displays because it is minimalist.

I'd even settle for just the Lion and 1874, it just owns the Lion backed up by simply stating our age.

I'm guessing marketing might require the name, but isn't it so damn obvious it's classy and meets modern style needs to have a floating lion?

Saying all that, I agree it's not worth getting too worked up over, yet it's just a shame not to augment stylish on field developments with off it, there is a potential to really cement a brand if we excel and we look not to be skilled at exploiting that to the maximum sadly.  Convinced myself it's worth getting worked up over maybe [sweating emoji]

[Si]

I've worked in the print/design/marketing industry for 37 years. My opinion, that new leaked crest, is something my company would give to a work experience kid to mess around with, and create whilst we found them something meaningful to do. If Chris Heck is a branding/marketing genius, then like Unai he should be able to work with the tools he has...ie the round badge. The 76ers is a round badge, he could brand that. The current round badge has all the elements required to pull apart, a stand alone lion, Aston Villa, 1874. A shield will not define us as a Football Club, a rampant lion and claret and blue will.

[chrisw1]

It's interesting how many people are criticising the quality of the design.  Yesterday I had a Twitter argument with a fan who claims to have 'worked at global brand design agencies for over 20 years'

He was pretty patronising about how I can't possibly understand how brand equity works (ie why we essentially need to keep the same badge)  He also went on to say that whilst the drop shadow was lazy it had clearly been done by a professional and the 'spacing and kerning is done well'

Obviously, I told him he was talking shite.  In terms of brand consistency, we've had a round badge for a year and frequently use monochrome so the blue and yellow is hardly set in stone.  Unfortunately I haven't worked in global brand design agencies for over 20 years, but if I ever need one I won't be giving his a call.     

[Risso]

It's interesting how many people are criticising the quality of the design.  Yesterday I had a Twitter argument with a fan who claims to have 'worked at global brand design agencies for over 20 years'

He was pretty patronising about how I can't possibly understand how brand equity works (ie why we essentially need to keep the same badge)  He also went on to say that whilst the drop shadow was lazy it had clearly been done by a professional and the 'spacing and kerning is done well'

Obviously, I told him he was talking shite.  In terms of brand consistency, we've had a round badge for a year and frequently use monochrome so the blue and yellow is hardly set in stone.  Unfortunately I haven't worked in global brand design agencies for over 20 years, but if I ever need one I won't be giving his a call.     

I think I saw that exchange, he's a proper clown. You don't have to be a design professional to know when something is done really badly. But all of the designers that follow Villa have all, to a man, said what an absolute piece of shit it is. Apart from that dick yesterday, of course.

[Risso]

The other thing about the new badge is, how on earth are they going to launch it now? I assume they were planning some big reveal, but now that it's been seen after it was spotted on the trademark site, and been widely condemned by just about everybody, any launch is going to feel as flat and tasteless as a pint of week old Carling.