For the third time in 18 years, the Sixers today unveiled a new set of logos. New uniforms for next season will follow and will be introduced in mid-June.
The changes to the primary logo were subtle, changing from a square base to a circular one and altering the design of the basketball on which “76ers” is overlaid. I am a fan of the redesign, as it is classic and clean, and it follows in the footsteps of past Sixer logos (minus the monstrosity from 1997, which has miraculously been able to harbor positive connotations with Sixers fans simply because it was worn by Allen Iverson in his prime.)
The bigger news of the day was the introduction of several secondary logos. One of those was simply a red and blue “76” encircled by 13 stars. Again, the design was clean and crisp, and paid homage to the roots of the franchise.
The second, and the one that seems to have stolen the show, is the design of Ben Franklin dribbling a basketball, a design that has quickly become known as “Ballin Ben.” The “Ballin Ben” design is a nice addition to the scheme. It allowed the Sixers to add some modernity to the logos while tying in the long tradition of not only the franchise but the city as well. The logo has garnered largely positive feedback, with ESPN’s Paul Lukas claiming “he instantly becomes the NBA’s best logo.”
I'm looking forward to the unveiling of the new uniforms, which we are told will take inspiration from Sixers uniforms of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Those were some dope jerseys and I’m excited to see what the new ones have in store.
Overall, the Sixers hit a home run. Despite the changes to the primary logo being understated, it looks better than the one it replaces. The secondary logos will complement the core logo nicely, and the addition of “Ballin Ben” adds a little bit of fun and freshness to a scheme that has a very classic and timeless feel. They were wise to not tinker with the color scheme, and they were wise to go with subtle changes to the main logo. The secondary logos allowed them to mix in a little variety, as well as to blend the franchise's history with its present. They didn’t try to do too much, and that allowed them to do just enough.
Now all the Sixers need to do is translate some of this marketing success into success on the court.
Related: Here’s The Trailer For Showtime’s “Iverson” Documentary On May 16th
