After two years of searching for the perfect rebrand name, the Washington NFL team has finally chosen one — the Commanders. The rebranded name refers to the region’s connection to the armed forces. This announcement was revealed on NBC’s “Today” show on Feb. 2, 2022.
When the team decided to change their original controversial name, fans submitted over 40,000 suggestions. Then the team widdled the choices down to 1,200. Next, they chose 50 unique names to test in market research groups filled with season ticket holders, former season ticket holders, politicians, fans, current and former team players, and other groups.
The Washington NFL team’s president, Jason Wright, stated that their fans come from a diverse set of backgrounds. This made finding an all-around appealing new team name difficult.
Wright felt it was vitally important the new name should reflect concepts like resilience, grit, tradition, and family. “Our task was less of a marketing endeavor and more about finding a cross-section of unity,” he added.
The primary logo for the team will be a “W” for Washington —quite like it has been. The only difference is the slanted elements of the stripes bordering the symbol “are inspired by military rank insignia.”
The word Washington will run across the front of the jerseys and the letter “C” for Commanders will be represented in gold. It will have diagonal cuts to direct the reader to the team’s name. There will be two gold stripes directly above and below the name referencing the Washington, D.C. flag.
The team’s traditional burgundy and gold colors will still be present. Ditching the unique NFL colors was a “non-starter,” stated Wright.
Ed O’Hara who is lead at Pet Turtle Branding — which develops brands for sports and entertainment groups — stated, “Color is a powerful measure of loyalty and indicator of a brand.” Washington’s colors are “unique, and it’s who they are,” he added.
The name change has been met with an array of feelings on social media. Some are in favor of the new name others dislike it.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Source:
The New York Times: With Commanders, the Washington N.F.L. Franchise Moves Past Old Name; by Ken Belson
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