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New Badge - 2 Year Appraisal


Olé

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I know there are bigger things to worry about, but I'm past caring about most of the current playing squad, so for a change of pace I'd like to reflect on something we will all have to live with for much, much longer. The badge. We're just about to complete our second season playing under it.

I'm a firm believer that any time you make a radical and long lasting strategic change, you should never be afraid to appraise it after a reasonable period of time and make adjustments if needed. How has it gone? Is it meeting our aims? Could anything be done better. Can we evolve further?

  • Fans: From most feedback I read or hear, most are happy with the badge, for others it has "grown on them" - though I'm never sure if that's inevitable through its brute force use everywhere or as we have no option but to identify with it. But I certainly don't hear strong resentment. So I'd say: indifferent to good.
  • Players: I think it's important to consider the impact on players. Are they proud of the badge? Do they identify with it? How does it make then feel? There's a lot of good psychological evidence (Time magazine) of the impact of a club's identity to its players. It may be unrelated but 2 year form has been very poor

I do have an agenda here - I think our new badge is imperfect. The rationale and the intention articulated by the club all make sense and it could be perfect but it has flaws. As an amateur psychologist I do think those flaws have implicitly translated into the mentality of the club and the players. 

  • It has no eyes and can't see. There is no better metaphor for City than this - it has always seemed completely ridiculous to me that we produced a badge with a Robin with no eyes and didn't think it was a missed opportunity or might send the wrong message. Eyes are the most emotive part of the body (as you will know having been stuck behind COVID masks). You can make eyes look angry - it is literally the "signature" for the emotion of any living creature. 
  • It's stood on one ***ing leg. As you do. Are we supposed to be a one legged bird? Or midway through a ballet performance? Two legs, planted firmly, conveys strength and whole levels of self confidence. Find me a badge or a statute of a person or animal that is balancing on one leg and meant to be taken seriously?
  • It's wing is incomplete. Minor point perhaps but doesn't that mean more flapping and less flying. If I want a visual metaphor I want a solid object that works.
  • The ball is incomplete. Are we playing football? Or unicycling? Balls don't have gaps in them. It certainly doesn't look like a ball we have under any control.
  • It's unnecessarily fussy. The year, and stuff.

It takes the most minor revisions (i.e. 5 minutes) to address these points. I mean literally it takes a couple of extra lines.

1267639137_BristolCityNewCrest2022Double.thumb.png.4f30f14fd53d438b56d39d485893935e.png

Okay I'm biased, but having eyes - in our own colours - creates an actual personality to our badge, angry and menacing. Which it would be handy for us to be. Two feet planted firmly on and in control of the football. Also a stronger message. And a full wing rather than weird flap of skin. Might also lend us a bit of conviction.

I'm not trying to be clever or self-congratulatory here - but when I look back at it now, I almost can't believe we did the things we did to the finished badge, given how close it was to being a significantly stronger, more identifiable and convincing look. But that doesn't mean it's not too late to make some simple adjustments...? 

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The badge is dreadful and symbolic of how the management within the club is rank amateur. 

It looks so cheap and tacky, kind of like an American NFL franchised emblem. 

They had it right in 18/19 with the coat of Arms on the home kit and the old Robin on the away, why change it? 

Failing that, it should have been a collective fan decision to make the change because I don't know many who like the new badge.

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I was a big fan of my avatar, but I have grown to like the new incarnation, even it doesn't have the bridge on.

It's certainly better than the unidentifiable crest.

I have to say, I wouldn't want to use an incomplete unicycle either.

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Just now, Superjack said:

I was a big fan of my avatar, but I have grown to like the new incarnation, even it doesn't have the bridge on.

It's certainly better than the unidentifiable crest.

I have to say, I wouldn't want to use an incomplete unicycle either.

I`m with you, this has always been my favourite City badge (hence my tattoo of it). I don`t mind the new one, just a bit `meh` about it if I`m honest.

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The badge still looks like a stylised BS (Bristol Sport) logo to me drawn by a 3 year old. I don't particularly like it but I've come to accept it. Personally if we're to change to a robin logo I'd sooner have a better depiction if a bird sat on a ball or gate with the suspension bridge in background. 

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Is this a joke? If not, let’s be sensible. The new badge is about marketing. Like it or not marketing is a big factor that decides whether or not a club will be profitable. The bit about what the players feel about the badge is irrelevant . They get paid a big wodge per week and would be happy to wear a badge with a picture of Willy Wonka as long as they were paid. I’m sorry @Olé, I have great respect for your many insightful posts but this is a magic mushroom post: 

It has no eyes and can’t see

It’s stood on one leg

It’s wing is incomplete 

The ball is incomplete 

Perhaps it’s a conspiracy theory that blames Mark Ashton 

 

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I like the adjustments, eg two feet, a full wing.

I’m not sure it needs an eye, less is more I think, and if it’s going to be stood on a full circle it needs to somehow look like a ball rather than a hoop/ring.

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2 minutes ago, pongo88 said:

Is this a joke? If not, let’s be sensible. The new badge is about marketing. Like it or not marketing is a big factor that decides whether or not a club will be profitable. The bit about what the players feel about the badge is irrelevant . They get paid a big wodge per week and would be happy to wear a badge with a picture of Willy Wonka as long as they were paid. I’m sorry @Olé, I have great respect for your many insightful posts but this is a magic mushroom post: 

It has no eyes and can’t see

It’s stood on one leg

It’s wing is incomplete 

The ball is incomplete 

Perhaps it’s a conspiracy theory that blames Mark Ashton 

 

I agree about the players. I have to wear a uniform to work and have no ability to adapt it or any input into the design. A football shirt is their required workwear.

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A few months ago, during lockdown, I ended up playing a football badge cup with friends of mine who supported other clubs.

The final was Bristol City - Derby. Based off that - I didn't have the power to rig it with my one vote! - it seems to go down well with fans of other clubs.

Personally I like it. It's neat, clean looking and they've managed to integrate a B and C if you look at the shape of the Robin and the ball (or a B and an S for Bristol Sport if you look at the body and the red breast.

Much as I love the suspension bridge and robin, I think this is my favourite of our crests. 

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You've nailed it, Olé.

Put that eye in, SL sees through all the smoke and players pick a pass.

Put that leg in, and players don't fall over like Kalas.

Complete the wing and we're flying down the wing, not flapping in our area.

Complete the ball, and we're paying total football.

Job's a good 'un!

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1 hour ago, Olé said:

I know there are bigger things to worry about, but I'm past caring about most of the current playing squad, so for a change of pace I'd like to reflect on something we will all have to live with for much, much longer. The badge. We're just about to complete our second season playing under it.

I'm a firm believer that any time you make a radical and long lasting strategic change, you should never be afraid to appraise it after a reasonable period of time and make adjustments if needed. How has it gone? Is it meeting our aims? Could anything be done better. Can we evolve further?

  • Fans: From most feedback I read or hear, most are happy with the badge, for others it has "grown on them" - though I'm never sure if that's inevitable through its brute force use everywhere or as we have no option but to identify with it. But I certainly don't hear strong resentment. So I'd say: indifferent to good.
  • Players: I think it's important to consider the impact on players. Are they proud of the badge? Do they identify with it? How does it make then feel? There's a lot of good psychological evidence (Time magazine) of the impact of a club's identity to its players. It may be unrelated but 2 year form has been very poor

I do have an agenda here - I think our new badge is imperfect. The rationale and the intention articulated by the club all make sense and it could be perfect but it has flaws. As an amateur psychologist I do think those flaws have implicitly translated into the mentality of the club and the players. 

  • It has no eyes and can't see. There is no better metaphor for City than this - it has always seemed completely ridiculous to me that we produced a badge with a Robin with no eyes and didn't think it was a missed opportunity or might send the wrong message. Eyes are the most emotive part of the body (as you will know having been stuck behind COVID masks). You can make eyes look angry - it is literally the "signature" for the emotion of any living creature. 
  • It's stood on one ***ing leg. As you do. Are we supposed to be a one legged bird? Or midway through a ballet performance? Two legs, planted firmly, conveys strength and whole levels of self confidence. Find me a badge or a statute of a person or animal that is balancing on one leg and meant to be taken seriously?
  • It's wing is incomplete. Minor point perhaps but doesn't that mean more flapping and less flying. If I want a visual metaphor I want a solid object that works.
  • The ball is incomplete. Are we playing football? Or unicycling? Balls don't have gaps in them. It certainly doesn't look like a ball we have under any control.
  • It's unnecessarily fussy. The year, and stuff.

It takes the most minor revisions (i.e. 5 minutes) to address these points. I mean literally it takes a couple of extra lines.

1267639137_BristolCityNewCrest2022Double.thumb.png.4f30f14fd53d438b56d39d485893935e.png

Okay I'm biased, but having eyes - in our own colours - creates an actual personality to our badge, angry and menacing. Which it would be handy for us to be. Two feet planted firmly on and in control of the football. Also a stronger message. And a full wing rather than weird flap of skin. Might also lend us a bit of conviction.

I'm not trying to be clever or self-congratulatory here - but when I look back at it now, I almost can't believe we did the things we did to the finished badge, given how close it was to being a significantly stronger, more identifiable and convincing look. But that doesn't mean it's not too late to make some simple adjustments...? 

1812054154_BristolCityNewCrest2022Doublecrestonly.thumb.png.f118448e7f642e1ef61cd5bfc2efadcd.png

E0U4oIWWUActYuh?format=jpg&name=large

E0U4oINXoAItkB4?format=jpg&name=large

 

The players have looked like they are playing on one leg for a while

Our players can't play with a proper ball so no problem 

The wing is in complete don't worry we don't use the wings anyway

 

It has no eyes neither do our players so no problem

It's fussy our players aren't they couldn't give a toss

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Prefer the original to your one and I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the original, just think it's fine.

Your version loses the simplicity of it being basically one single line and makes it look that little bit more cramped and forced. In terms of an appraisal, leave it as it is. Too many cooks and all that.

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37 minutes ago, TBW said:

Prefer the original to your one and I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the original, just think it's fine.

Your version loses the simplicity of it being basically one single line and makes it look that little bit more cramped and forced. In terms of an appraisal, leave it as it is. Too many cooks and all that.

Yeah - I think the edit loses the boldness of the design. I dislike the eye in the edited version in particular - you lose the "B" shape of the robins body. Ditto the addition of the extra line in the tail. 

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I don't mind the new badge. It's clean and distinctive when displayed among other badges.

As far as an identity goes and the effect it has on the clubs ethos and attitudes I would say the problem is greater than the badge.

Our nickname is neither unique or related to our city. It's a hard sell to promote the mighty robin.

The Robins, why's that? Because we have red shirts. Wow. That's right up there with the hoops for nicknames that totally lack imagination.

The trouble is that you can't develop an identity overnight (despite what Bristol Rugby may think). After over 100 years of club history, we're pretty much stuck with what we have.

As the saying goes, you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

 

 

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