Professional athletes in any sport have plenty in common, not the least of which is a relentless drive to be at the top of their game.
And once they reach the top, they seem to share something else: personal logos. Hey, we get it. It’s all part of the marketing biz.
But who’s got the best-looking brand marker out there? RedEye’s design staff examined the logos of eight prominent athletes based on how functional and aesthetically pleasing they are.
J.J. WATT
Total score: 4 out of 15
Sara Amato: 3 out of 5. I think his logo is indicative of what J.J. Watt is like. He’s just such an explosive figure on the field, and I like the upward movement of his logo to help bridge his brands.
Aly Morris: 0 out of 5. Not only does it look like a disjointed pitchfork, it has a ’90s-style outline and gradient. Hard pass.
Jake Newton: 1 out of 5. I’m not much of a gamer, but I swear I saw something that looked like this in “Halo.” If it were silver or gray, it would look a military badge. Judging by the logo, I feel like Watt loves ’80s hair metal.
KEVIN DURANT
Total score: 5 out of 15
Sara Amato: 3 out of 5. The sans serif font is a little too round for me, but overall I think it’s a logo that works if it’s played small. I wish there were a little bit more depth to it, though.
Aly Morris: 0 out of 5. It looks like a bad crop of something that could be cool. But it’s definitely not. Please go back to the drawing board (literally).
Jake Newton: 2 out of 5. The designer for this logo totally uses Bing and listens to music using his Beats headphones. It’s not a bad logo, it just looks like something I’ve seen before.
TIGER WOODS
Total score: 5.5 out of 15
Sara Amato: 2 of 5. Meh. Really. Just meh. It’s not unique or creative in any way. It’s just fine.
Aly Morris: .5 out of 5. Unless he’s planning on throwing this over Winterfell’s wall soon, a banner-shaped logo is really hard to work with. Although it would make a great lapel pin.
Jake Newton: 3 out of 5. It’s very obvious that this is a T and a W. It does, however, resemble one of those cheap book clips I would get from the library to use as bookmarks. As a logo, I feel like it’s overly douchey. There’s definitely some overcompensation happening here.
JIMMY BUTLER
Total score: 6.5 out of 15
Sara Amato: 2 out of 5. I find this logo to be a little harsh and hard to read. I get that it’s his initials, but it’s a little disjointed. Butler can do better.
Aly Morris: 1.5 out of 5. It looks like someone took two Adidas logos and mashed them into a “J” and “B.” But bonus half-point for “J.B.” legibility.
Jake Newton: 3 out of 5. There’s a lot going on. Are triangles significant to basketball? It takes a lot of looking before I see the “J.B.” Also, what is above all those triangles? Is that a jester’s hat? Is he calling himself a joke? Millennials are fairly prone to self-deprecation (See: Hannah Horvath), but this is a little overboard and makes me want to hug him.
LEBRON JAMES
Total score: 7.5 out of 15
Sara Amato: 1 out of 5. I get that he’s the King and [bleep], but ugh, this logo does nothing for me.
Aly Morris: 4.5 out of 5. This logo embodies LeBron to the core. (Oh, I’m sorry, is my Ohio showing?) The strong visual identity of the crown reads immediately, and the subtlety of the “L” and “J” that make up the foundation of the logo coincides well with his championship-winning attitude.
Jake Newton: 2 out of 5. Decadent. I am personally a fan of wide, shallow logos, so I feel like I should love it, but I think it’s too arrogant to hop on board. For God’s sake, there is a CROWN on his logo, which is truly one-third of the logo. Disclaimer: I am from Ohio, but since I know nothing about sports, LeBron means nothing to me.
LIONEL MESSI
Total score: 9 out of 15
Sara Amato: 4 out of 5. The “M” is classy, and the movement in the top corners is nice. I like how the white crest is on par with soccer crests. It’s a nice touch.
Aly Morris: 1 out of 5. It looks like a wannabe Maserati logo that stole Tesla’s typography. One point because Tesla has very nice typography.
Jake Newton: 4 out of 5. Isn’t this already a car logo? I feel like babes totally flock to this dude with a logo like that. It’s a very sexy logo. It looks a little bit like a king cobra, which I don’t know how that connects to Messi, but I’m sure he rocks it.
DERRICK ROSE
Total score: 10 out of 15
Sara Amato: 4 out of 5. It took me a while to figure it out, but once I started looking at it, the more I liked it. Between the rose, the “D” in the middle and the “1” in the middle of the “D,” this logo is almost perfect.
Aly Morris: 1 out of 5. My first impression was, “Who would have a circle of Death Eaters (a la “Harry Potter”) in their branding?” It wasn’t until I realized the logo belonged to Derrick Rose that I could see a rose with a “D” in the center. I get that he probably didn’t want overly feminine rose imagery, but if it takes that long for your brand to be read, you’re not doing it right.
Jake Newton: 5 out of 5. It’s lovely! I like the simple design—it’s subtle but obvious at the same time. It just works. I love it. Does anyone else get a Daredevil vibe from it?
MICHAEL JORDAN
Total score: 13 out of 15
Sara Amato: 5 out of 5. Iconic. Simple. Perfect.
Aly Morris: 5 out of 5. This logo screams (and slam dunks) basketball. It’s the logo all these new kids are trying to beat, but what makes Jordan’s logo so iconic is that it’s not trying to be anything other than basketball.
Jake Newton: 3 out of 5. I know this logo! I can understand why some people adore it, but the more I look at it, the more I keep seeing a man in casual Friday attire (notice the rolled sleeves and the way the pants pockets bow out) slipping and doing the splits after he failed at resetting the office clock. I can’t unsee it now.
Sara Amato (@saamato), Aly Morris (@alyson_morris) and Jake Newton (@jnewt) are RedEye designers.
