Question about the XFL’s branding department

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LeoNY
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Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by LeoNY »

I am not sure if anyone knows this. Perhaps Greg Parks knows. I am of the opinion that the last part of the XFL team identities reveal at this point is probably the logos. Not the names. I think the league already has all 8 team names decided. That’s just a guess on my part and what’s probably being finalized at this point is the logos and colors. I am guessing that this is the last part of the equation.

Does anyone know who is doing the branding for the league? Is it in house with the WWE and if so, who does the logos and branding for them.

I wonder how the logo and selection process is being decided. Whether it’s just a McMahon/Luck thing where they are presented with multiple potential team designs or if all the team presidents/ Head coaches are included in the selection process.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by GregParks »

Mike Mitchell may know better than me, as he's got more connections than I do. I would guess WWE has nothing to do with this; remember, the XFL is technically under the umbrella of Alpha Entertainment and not WWE. While Vince McMahon is likely kept abreast of the major goings-on (including, I would assume, team branding), I don't think the branding itself is done by anyone in WWE. They are playing XFL preview videos at WWE house shows, so there will be some sort of relationship, but the extent remains to be seen.

Now, could a third party who also works with WWE be working with the XFL in branding? That's possible. I'm not sure if it would be a separate department within the XFL or if XFL would farm these responsibilities out to said third party.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by Shooter McGav1n »

It’s likely that the names and logos all all finalized and they’re probably just going over some legal stuff at this point, since the Commisioner Luck has said they’ll be announced very soon. They wouldn’t want to come to market with a name or logo that’s too similar to something that’s already trademarked and be forced to change it after it’s released. Vince has been through that process once with the WWF/WWE.

As far as who’s making the decisions, that’s hard to say. It sounds like it’s a pretty small group though, as a couple head coaches have stated they don’t yet know the team names.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by MarkNelson »

I used to think I knew when and how the team names and logos would be presented to the fans. Now, I believe it is time to sit back and chill. It's clear that the league will do what it has to do... when it decides to do it. :)
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MikeMitchell
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by MikeMitchell »

Great question LeoNY. There are a lot of different layers to this. Be prepared to read something lengthy here.

I wish that I had a definitive answer for you. Oliver Luck has mentioned in interviews that the branding would be left up to Vince’s expertise in this department and his relationships. I will get into that in a second.

You are pretty close in your guess that the league is in the logo stage of the process but it’s not that simple. Setting aside the legalities, which is a huge factor because you want to avoid any type of infringement. See the current issue with Alpha Entertainment and Adidas.

What is going on right now is the creative process. Each city has several name and logo combinations selected. In the creative process, you go through all the combinations before settling on the ones you like best. It would be like if all the members of this board came to me with 5 names and logos for Washington. Then myself and my team would have to decide on which one we like the best.

The other part of the creative process is attempting to have each logo and color scheme for all 8 teams be different. If the DC team is going to have a red, white and blue color scheme. Then none of the other 7 teams can have anything closely resembling DC’s colors or logo.

Lastly, the league as Greg Parks hinted at, has been doing a lot of out sourcing and using outside companies. They went into business with Optimum Scouting to do the leagues player scouting and didn’t try and create a whole new department on their own. They hired Elevate Sports Ventures to help with ticket sales rather than creating a huge sales division. The league used ANC to do all the showcases. Even the league’s game testing has involved outside tech companies and established leagues like TSL and YCF.

So it would not shock me if there is an outside design company doing the XFL logos. The thing with this is, if it’s being done, it’s being done in secret.

I am going to share this. I reached out to the person who did the logos for the original XFL. Bruce Burke. He is not a part of the current process although he talked with the league back in 2017 before McMahon made the official announcement.

I also reached out to John Lefteratos. He has done many designs for the WWE and multiple logos for entertainment companies. Lefteratos also did the recent WWE logo. He is not involved in this creative process either. So despite my best efforts to dig on this one. I am not sure who is designing the logos. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the WWE’s in house designers are being tasked with doing the logos for the league. I get a sense that this is the case.
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LeoNY
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by LeoNY »

Thank you Mike for the response. That’s cool that you reached out to the original designer of the XFL’s logos back in 2001. I am a huge wrestling fan, so I am not so sure how I would feel about the WWE’s branding department doing the XFL logos. The wrestlers themselves for the most part, do have pretty cool logos. Like AJ Styles, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns. So I am not opposed to it. As much as I respect Vince McMahon. I worry about him being involved in choosing any of the names. It’s his half a billion dollars, so he can do whatever he wants but the Los Angeles Experience wouldn’t go over well. Sometimes he gets it right but some of his branding is goofy.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by GDAWG »

LeoNY wrote: Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:50 pm Thank you Mike for the response. That’s cool that you reached out to the original designer of the XFL’s logos back in 2001. I am a huge wrestling fan, so I am not so sure how I would feel about the WWE’s branding department doing the XFL logos. The wrestlers themselves for the most part, do have pretty cool logos. Like AJ Styles, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns. So I am not opposed to it. As much as I respect Vince McMahon. I worry about him being involved in choosing any of the names. It’s his half a billion dollars, so he can do whatever he wants but the Los Angeles Experience wouldn’t go over well. Sometimes he gets it right but some of his branding is goofy.
The wrestlers have cool logos, but one of the criticisms of the WWE (albeit a minor one) is the fact that a large number of WWE branded T-shirts are awful.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by Tank55 »

I can confirm that they were exploring external (that is, non-WWE) options. I assume that's the direction they've gone, but I don't know that for sure.
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Firecop
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by Firecop »

I hope that Tank55 is correct in it likely being outsourced. I think an objective 3rd party is just what is needed in this reboot situation. The XFL needs to distance itself from its previous version and COMPLETELY disassociate itself from the WWE.The new XFL must stand (or fall) on its own merits or lack thereof; it seems to me that they are doing their best to accomplish this. There is so much negative baggage from the previous attempt that they have to get it right this time from the get go.
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Re: Question about the XFL’s branding department

Post by GregParks »

Call me crazy, but I just thought of this: Would've been cool to have had the league reveal the team names/logos at the San Diego Comic-Con. Seems it's where a lot of entertainment properties make big reveals and I don't think other sports have a real presence there. Just being there would firmly entrench them in the entertainment zeitgeist.
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