PROJECT
Crown Legacy FC Logo Design,
MLS Branding
SERVICES
SPORTS BRANDING
LOGO DESIGN
IDENTITY SYSTEM
BRAND STYLE GUIDE
DIGITAL AD DESIGN
MLS LOGO DESIGN
The Challenge:
In 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) debuted the MLS Next Pro league to help feed professional players into the MLS first teams. Tepper Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Carolinas’ only MLS team, Charlotte FC, as well as NFL Carolina Panthers, set out to develop a MLS Next Pro team for the 2023 season. Rather than just reuse the Charlotte FC logo and name, team leaders hired Creature Theory to help develop a distinct story, character and look for this new pro team.
Execution:
Creature Theory began by working with Tepper Sports leadership to understand the amazing soccer culture in Charlotte. We attended Charlotte FC pregame festivities, interviewed influential fans, and met with player, coaches and MLS team staff. After building a compelling brand manifesto, we set out to develop a visual identity for the team that would be unapologetically modern, urban and brave. Energetic and a bit edgy, the Crown Legacy FC logo is refreshingly progressive for the sports industry, known for comic-like caricatures and complicated crests. Our story and design work for Crown Legacy FC is 100% looking forward. This is where we see sports logos going.
The Crest is the focal point of the identity system. The centerpiece of the crest, a geometric four-point crown, symbolizes the royal legacy behind the club’s name. It is dynamic and implies a sense of upward movement, reflecting the club’s energy, passion and empowerment. Built from multiple stacked blocks, the crown represents this club’s place in the player pathway, on their professional soccer journey and the aspiration to build to the Charlotte FC First Team.
Set in an electric and gripping blue with black background, the Crown Legacy FC crest is Charlotte through and through, specifically designed in 2-color, giving it a modern & edgy vibe. Inspired in equal parts by Charlotte’s heritage and its future, the club crest is a badge of belonging to a city on the rise.
The crest’s clean, circular shape, used in a distinctive blue-on-black treatment, takes its lead from the Charlotte FC club.
