Birch + Wolf Brand Babble: Red, White, and Blue

We have plenty of thoughts about brands, so why not share. Inspired by the 4th of July, we discussed red, white, and blue visual identities.

In this first edition of Birch + Wolf Brand Babble, Ben and I each pick four brand identities effectively using the colors of the U.S.A. and France too(!) as you’ll see from our choices.

Without further ado, let’s get to the picks.

Ben’s Pick #1: Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League)

Red, white, and blue are associated with both France and the U.S. on a global scale. The Alouettes rightfully embrace Montreal’s French heritage with a color scheme that stands out in a land filled with red and black (CFL rival Ottawa is even nicknamed the “Redblacks”).

The logo itself is genius. Simple, easily recognizable, and including several brand elements that hold meaning to the team’s fans and the city. Staying away from a generic logo and tying into local heritage fosters connections and loyalty from Alouette fans. Bonus points for creativity and thinking outside the box compared to a lot of other sports logos.

From a design perspective, large and bold blocks of color give the team a modern feel and avoid fine lines that can look too busy and messy.

Here is coverage from Brand New at UnderConsideration of the Alouettes’ re-brand.

Tyler’s Pick #1: Delta

I’m a big fan of Delta’s visual brand activations. This probably has something to do with avoiding one of the pitfalls of a lot of red and blue identities. Too often it feels like they are competing with rather than complementing each other. If you use the two together, they need to take the advice of WWE superstar The Rock and “know their damn roles!”

Delta gave very clear roles to the colors. Blue, you get to be the wordmark and the primary color in most visual representations. Red, you’ve the icon and will compliment the blue. It works well across the board, I think their basic liveries look good on their planes, and their planes are easily recognizable when they fly over our neighborhood from MSP.

I’m probably somewhat influenced by positive experiences with the brand – easily my favorite airline. Nothing wrong with that though…brands are about all touchpoints!

Ben’s Pick #2: Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League)

I’m sticking with the French theme here. The colors seem well thought out and balanced with red in the center surrounded by lots of blue and with white as an accent.

The simplistic and modern depiction of the Eiffel tower connects the club to a city and national landmark, instantly making the brand about more than the team. Paris Saint-Germain’s brand identity now suggests more than a soccer team and integrates them into the fashion-forward culture of Paris.

Read more about the PSG’s brand-focused activities in this article from Bleacher Report.

Tyler’s Pick #2: Fila

Similar to Delta, I like how Fila’s logo is heavier on blue with red as an accent that really stands out. And there’s something about the Fila logo that has allowed it to stand the test of time. It screams 1990s tennis tournament to me…but remains stylish and still seems contemporary. Contrast with Reebok’s identity back then which screams “stuck in the 90s.”

I also enjoy that, as an Italian company, Fila didn’t just pick its colors to seem patriotic. The story goes that the blue and red were picked to represent various qualities of the company. A few colors that have meaning, a well-done custom font, and whammy! A visual mark for the ages.

Ben’s Pick #3: The Obama “O” Logo

An obvious color palette for a U.S. campaign, but like the Alouettes, the use of big, bold blocks of color was a successful way to stand out from the crowd.

The Obama campaign’s logo is one of the most recognizable political logos in U.S. history. It established a visual identity to match Barack Obama’s charisma and helped him overcome being a less well-known and experienced candidate.

A lesson here? A simple, bold logo that conveys a strong meaning is a way to help establish a brand and set it up for longevity. The Obama logo remains alive today, in many different color formats, as a symbol for hope for different groups via the Obama Foundation.

Tyler’s Pick #3: Montreal Canadiens (National Hockey League)

We’re probably asking for some flack at this point, with a second Canadian sports franchise and the majority of our 4th of July inspired picks being international. But Canada Day is July 1, so close enough that we can continue to be inclusive. And for the record I almost picked the Alouettes too.

For me, the Canadiens visual appeal is more about the jersey than the logo itself. There are very few red and blue sports jerseys that I think look good, and Montreal pulls it off. Other than a few outliers in their early days, they’ve basically carried the same look with some minor tweaks for over a century. It works well for a team that was one of hockey’s Original Six and is the winningest team in NHL history. Kudos for not caving into the pressure to make some cartoonish changes in the 90s or early 2000s.

Ben’s Pick #4: The Roosevelts (RSVLTS)

Two friends following their entrepreneurial spirit resonates with Birch + Wolf. In the case of RSVLTS, it involved leaving their digital publishing jobs to build a media company focused on digital marketing content. Their agency quickly evolved into an Americana lifestyle apparel company.

The color choice is again understandable for a brand named after a U.S. president. The simplistic design focused on Teddy Roosevelt’s glasses and mustache also make sense and work well with the unique name “RSVLTS” to create a fun and easy going brand vibe.

When Roosevelts.com was already taken, the entrepreneurs not only adapted but also embraced the opportunity to remove the vowels and go with the “RSVLTS” name. They even used the tagline “FCK VWLS” to play off of the name.

Tyler’s Pick #4: Labatt Blue

Yup, I’m doing it again. Going up north again, this time to celebrate the branding of a Canadian beer. Labatt’s logo has gone through several iterations over the years, but all of them agree with me. I also think they have consistently attractive bottles and packaging. I’m not a big beer fan, so for me it’s even more about the brand and less about the actual liquid.

From the red and blue standpoint, they strike the right imbalance, with blue as the base color for everything and subtly incorporating the naturally red maple leaf.

They also did well in my book by having funny advertisements with a bear several years back. It’s hard not to like a funny bear. It worked for Hamm’s and it worked for Labatt.

Enough of the Babble

Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in suggesting a topic for a future edition of Birch + Wolf Brand Babble, feel free to send it in via email to info@birchandwolf.com.