This week The Hundred unveiled their logos for their new tournament, consisting of eight teams coached by professional cricket players.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that logos are meaningless and that branding is what matters, but in this case, the logos are likely what most people will see - and these look like they were bought from Fiverr. They look remarkably like cookie cutter logo templates, with no real consideration to the historical and cultural roots of cricket - rather looking as though they wouldn't be out of place on a junior American Football shirt. The vivid colours appear far too garish for this soft natured sport.
None of these logo designs speak to me or tells me anything about its heritage. The longer I look at Welsh Fire, the more I realise that it’s not even the same typeface used throughout. Manchester Originals looks to be modern and metropolitan however again it doesn’t actually tell me anything about the team. Again, the London Oval Invincibles doesn’t actually tell me anything about the rich cultural heritage of the City of London. It makes a reference to Kennington Oval cricket ground but the depiction of a hand is more akin to a giant foam hand often found at American sports events, than anything found at a cricket match. As for London Spirit, the only link I can see to London in the logo is the R which reminds me of the beefeater (restaurant) logo, again I feel this is only really a loose connection and perhaps completely accidental.
Although much of the public aren’t design professionals they will certainly be able to tell if no effort has been put into logo design and whilst these logos look as though they belong together, it doesn’t mean they are good. I think The Hundred have forgotten here that branding isn’t what *you* say it is, it’s what *they* say it is. They don’t appear edgy and cool (which is probably what they were going for), they actually appear lazy and thrown together in a hurry.
The teams uniforms aren’t based on the already poor branding, but actually based on their (usually temporary) sponsors. This is also where real branding comes into play, as a tournament designed for children is being sponsored by unhealthy snacks, which doesn’t set a good precedent for the sport. Ultimately, everyone who wears the kit will be walking around looking like a bag of crisps, as opposed to a sports person - which seems like a huge conflict of interest for The Hundred’s brand.
In general, The Hundred’s branding seems to be an attempt to modernise cricket by the England and Wales Cricket board. Many people will have fond memories of playing or watching crickets with parents or grandparents as a child, especially the over 30s. I feel an attempt to use the emotional appeal of nostalgia would be a better route to take rather than Americanising/sensationalising a sport that is steeped in English history and tradition. I feel it should pay respect to this, instead of railroading with bright colours and meaningless shapes.
Sorry The Hundred, it’s a no from me.
