In-house design and art direction for one of Major League Soccer’s original franchise teams.
TEAM:
Creative Direction: Justin Baier
Art Direction: Kevin Maulbeck & Thomas Sloan
Design: Thomas E. Sloan
New York Red Bulls are a Major League Soccer team based just outside of the city in Harrison, NJ. The club is rich in history and one of the few original founding clubs in the MLS. Originally named the Metro Stars, the team was bought by Red Bull in 2008.
As a subsidiary of Red Bull Global, the team found itself in a peculiar position compared to others in the league. For years, the holding company imposed its corporate branding system upon the team, which didn’t quite fit into the greater landscape of professional sports.
In 2018, the team was finally granted the ability to rebrand with stipulations. As they received more support & creative freedom from its success, it became apparent that these parameters needed to be clearly outlined in a cohesive document; this is where my work began.
To define a new era under the Red Runs Deep manifesto, refining existing elements was of key importance. We wanted to celebrate the very things that make New York unlike any other city in the world: the art, fashion, architecture and tone of the city; the sheer spectacle; the fast pace of daily life and that relationship to our high-intensity, high-press style of play.
Incorporation of a refined and more focused street-style allowed us to reflect the ambiance of the city from the perspective of a commuter, photojournalist, a delivery driver, or maybe a pigeon (?). While New York is the brand, the team nurtures the surrounding communities of Newark, Hoboken, Kearny and Jersey City; the industrial runoff of the city that never sleeps. The use of texture reflects the grit and reality of its working-class fanbase.
The first touchpoint of the brand is our kits. 1Beat and Dark Mode kits loosely reference the interaction of light and shadow in the city. If you’ve ever spent time in the city, then you understand the duality of a sunny day; Just turn the corner.
