blandy Posted May 2, 2007 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2007 There's been a lot of talk about the "re-branding" of the club. Here's some more. Normally, when I read stories, or hear on the news, that such and such a company has "rebranded" itself, I just think sceptically of consultant's fees and "workshops" in which loads of arty types called Nathan and Oliver talk all kinds of gibberish, then go off to "Bistro Riche" for an extended luncheon at the client's expense, before finally coming out with a result that turns out to be almost exactly the same as the previous version - Remember BP spending millions on getting someone to come up with basically the same badge as the last time, but with slightly sloping letters? So when It comes to something that does matter to me - my football club, why aren't I equally scornful? Well the first reason is that the "image" of Aston Villa was somewhat jaded and tarnished. If ever there was a case for a club needing people's perceptions of it re-aligning (apart from Leeds, and they're looking beyond help) then it was Aston Villa. Talk to a fellow football fan about Villa, at almost any time over the past decade or so - a supporter of Preston, or Liverpool, or Norwich, or wherever, and you'd generally get one of two reactions. Either "Big Club, Proper History, you deserve better than to be run by that buffoon Ellis." or less kindly, "Empty seats, the chairman's an idiot, the fans are always moaning, you're mid table fodder for the big clubs to walk all over. Get used to it" The Wigan fans chanted "You're not famous anymore" at us at the JJB, and they were right. "Unambitious and unhappy" was perhaps the wider perception of Villa across football, and the media, until very recently. Things, as we know, changed big style last summer. But aside from making the news for a while, (until attention moved on to the next club to be taken over and McLaren's inadequacies) perhaps there's not really been that much wider recognition of just how much things have changed. Yes, the press the club gets is better than it used to be, though as it was pretty dire before that's not hard. Martin O'Neill has helped, of course, as has the absence of any pompous pensioners blathering on in an official capacity. Since the summer, negative perception has been replaced with neutrality or curiosity - people know the club isn't "miserable" any more, but what is it? That's where the "branding" comes in As Arsene Wenger pointed out, "everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife", yet Villa really does have claim to rather more significance than is credited to us in this SKY+ age. It's acknowledged that Liverpool are England's most successful club, Manchester United have the most fans, Chelsea are the richest, Arsenal the best to watch (though these things can, and may, all change). There's is though, no "tag" for Villa, now that the negative aspects have gone. Fortunately it's not a case that a false "tag" needs to be invented. There is a genuine huge amount to be attribute to Villa and for the world to see. Unlike "richest", "most fans", or "best football" etc, what we have is that the whole "old ball game" was pretty much kicked off by Aston Villa, in terms of founding the football league (and consequently the spread of the game world-wide). It's also true that for a long, long, time Villa was the most successful and glamorous club. Sure it might not mean much now, but it's something to be proud of. It's unique. So let's not hide it away. We can be proud too, that 25 years ago we were at the top of European Football (we should also be more than a little sad that we've got nowhere near since, mind). Chelsea last night, again, showed that it's not easy to get near that level, even with all their money and a league format that helps the money teams - So it's a nice touch that the great players of that 1980/81/82 team will be part of the launching of the new era for the Club, that we'll have a "brand" that both links back to their day in the sun and back beyond that, to the very founding of the Football league. We have a Club that is unique, a Club to once again be proud of and one that is truly aiming to get back to the top while not forgetting the past. Another aspect about the "branding" of Aston Villa is the international element. Here history plays a greater part than perhaps it does in the UK, where we follow each and every result of each club and the evolution of the league table over the season. Abroad, perhaps, for the non-committed, but interested, it's more about what the club represents, what they've done, and why AVFC rather than Anderlecht or Austria Vienna. In terms of the new marketing experience and new impetus and expertise behind the Club, in terms of clearing away the cobwebs of 25 years of neglect, the decision to revise the Club's badge was a good one. A new start, looking forwards and re-connecting with the past pretty much demanded the replacement of the yellow stripey (copyrighted, TM, plc, no you can't copy it) badge from the later Ellis years. We the fans were consulted over preferences for shape and colours and so on. And the new badge has been released to a bizarrely over-excited world. Some fans love it, some hate it, some think it's quite nice, and some not very nice. Well knock me down with a feather! I'd never have guessed that would be the case. Personally speaking, it's got a lion on it, it says "Prepared" on it, it's a pale blue background, on a shield with no nasty yellow stripes. Looks alright on the club website and will look very nice on the kit. It's more than a nod to the past and we'll soon get used to it. And so will the world, hopefully. Right, that's me done, I'm off to Bistro Riche for some Chateau Parafino '07 and canapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted May 2, 2007 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2007 excellent Mr Bland, a wonderful summary for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrobo1 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 and as usual Pete sums it all up perfectly. The Brand is what has to be foccussed upon and in the next few months I expect us to be sent loads of stuff, some of which we will like, others not but it isa changing world and a different one from the sterile one of just 10 months ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingphil Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Top summary if I may say so - Encapsulates the true meaning of Aston Villa (sorry AVFC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 You looking for a job with the club Pete? - They could do a lot worse mate Nice and as the others have said, perfect summing up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmygreaves Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Nice one Pete - it's reassuring that some looking at the newly unveiled crest "get it". (BTW the link on the front page doesn't work...... MOD's) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Well done, but is Bistro Riche a posh name for Whelans chippy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted May 2, 2007 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2007 cheers JG it does now. And I posted in the main thread my thoughts on Why it's AVFC Something I've been thinking and discussing on MSN with others; with fans of other clubs and it's more to do with why 'AVFC'. AVFC - is an acronym and in today's modern texting world everything seems to get shortened so to brand in such a way brings it back to the younger generation and lets not forget they will be the real 'Bright Future' of Villa. AVFC - to not include the full name, to me instills a 'hook' something that someone will ask you as wear it with pride about. To have the full name, the answers are there. Many other corporates are now known only by their logo / brand / initials - BMW; MUFC (looking corporately at football); PwC; The FT etc so why not Villa and finally AVFC can only ever mean Aston Villa Football Club to those who see it and then enquire about it and to those who already love it we know what that means already." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Nice summing up Pete, agree with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runetune Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Excellent post, and fully agree. Also agree about the whole AVFC situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villainies Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 There's been a lot of talk about the "re-branding" of the club. Here's some more.snipped to save space......... Personally speaking, it's got a lion on it, it says "Prepared" on it, it's a pale blue background, on a shield with no nasty yellow stripes. Looks alright on the club website and will look very nice on the kit. It's more than a nod to the past and we'll soon get used to it. And so will the world, hopefully. Right, that's me done, I'm off to Bistro Riche for some Chateau Parafino '07 and canapes. Spot on, great article that captures the buoyant mood of the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewiek2 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Oh for the love of god please. Most people who like it do so cos it's not a Doug Ellis conception. Get a life people. You'd have slagged this badge off mercilessly if Ellis's regime had put it out as the badge. So stop this arse licking please. And do not lie and say I am wrong. This new board are brilliant but everyone is prone to **** up once in a while, this is one occassion. I 'get it' about the new crest. I just, like most, do not agree with the execution of the it. Can you not accept that? I get what the new crest means, but that doesn't mean that we should accept the first different thing off the conveyor belt. It is not a well designed badge simple as that. It's meaning is great, it's **** magic! I love what it represents, but you must understand that as retro it is it is not a well put together badgre. Trust me on this! I have shown it to people in regional and national, and in one case a mutli-national agency and they have all said it is a bad piece of design. I've explained the meaning behind it, the reasoning behind it, and they have all laughed at the shoddyness of it and said that it's bollocks and that they would NEVER show it to clients. So please stop looking at it with your heart and look at it with with your heads. They better have good marketing plan as I have said this til I'm blue in the face, this badge is NOT just about a thing on a kit anymore, it's all about a big marketing plan and frankly this is not a strong enough thing to pin our marketing plan on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villainies Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 stewiek2, why bad design? How could it be stronger to help the future marketing plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted May 2, 2007 Author Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2007 Oh for the love of god please. Most people who like it do so cos it's not a Doug Ellis conception. Get a life people. You'd have slagged this badge off mercilessly if Ellis's regime had put it out as the badge. So stop this arse licking please. And do not lie and say I am wrong.... I'm not sure I agree my critical faculties are solely based around who is in charge of the club. I would, I imagine, think exactly the same of the badge, whoever owned the club. Re-branding with Ellis still here - I agree, I'd have "slagged it off". Not because it would have been Ellis, but because re-branding only works, IMO, when you've something new to say and offer. We now have. That's what I was trying to say. The post wasn't really about the badge, that's just, to me, a small part of the picture. The club in my view HAS changed enormously for the better, and there's a lot more improvement to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrobo1 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I slagged off the previous one because it contains stripes, this one does not and contains all the elements I voted for including AVFC It is different and a bold step IMHO, it shows we are no longer playing safe, something I and many others had been calling for years Ste, there is no design that would have pleased everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted May 3, 2007 Moderator Share Posted May 3, 2007 Blandy is spot on imo. Nothing more need to be said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I think Stewie makes a good point though. I'm not talking about Pete at all, but there did seem to be an element yesterday of "the new badge comes from Randy, so it MUST be good." Emperor's new clothes and all that. When just about every designer on here, including people like Paul Barnes and NurembergVillain who operate at the very top of their profession say that the design is flawed, then I accept that it is just that. Of course that doesn't mean that people shouldn't like it, and everybody's more than welcome to their own views. I just think the club have taken all the elements voted for, and tried to incorporate them into a design that just doesn't work. I'm still chuffed to bits with the direction the club is going though, I just think on this small point they've buggered it up a bit. No great shakes though, but still, proves they're human beings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrobo1 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 see Risso I can not argue on design points and never have done this launch was not about the badge (though it was the central point of course) but it was about relaunching Aston Villa and the badge debate was one used to spark it. However you noticed today how papers are running stories of the new training ground, money to spend, that is something totally different and that is the relaunch of the brand going on thats why I favour it because it emphaisis's the differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I slagged off the previous one because it contains stripes, this one does not and contains all the elements I voted for including AVFC It is different and a bold step IMHO, it shows we are no longer playing safe, something I and many others had been calling for years Ste, there is no design that would have pleased everyone roughly my thoughts too Ian. It is a bold move, this re-badgeing. It's a bold new crest too, IMO - a big departure from the past and one that signals a new intent. I believe and hope that this new badge will be a grower on people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianrobo1 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 s I have said on the mailing list, a CL win would make people have very fond memories Jon !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts