The heraldic shield as a symbol of protection of the city’s sports interests is the main element of the LA Galaxy logo, which stands out for its brightness and richness of color palette. The gold and quasar are part of the city’s symbolism, which refers to the history of the state and the club.
LA Galaxy: Brand overview
Founded: | June 15, 1994 |
Founder: | Anschutz Entertainment Group |
Headquarters: |
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Website: | lagalaxy.com |
Nike developed the name of the club and its first brand identity. According to designers, the word “galaxy” meant a “galaxy of movie stars” since many Hollywood celebrities resided in Los Angeles. It was also an allusion to the group of stars that the team would become in the future. The concept has not changed much since then. Indeed, the Los Angeles Galaxy is the only club in MLS to retain the original Nike name.
Until 2007, the franchise color scheme included white, golden orange, turquoise, red, and black. The current official palette comprises dark blue, gold, and white. Its modification was a part of the re-branding when the LA Galaxy signed with famous player David Beckham from Real Madrid.
Meaning and History
Since joining MLS in 1996, the LA Galaxy has had three emblems. The 1996 and 2003 logos didn’t differ much. A radically different LA Galaxy logo appeared in 2007, initiated by the general manager Alexi Lalas.
What is LA Galaxy?
LA Galaxy is a professional soccer club from the United States based in Los Angeles, California. It is a member of the Western Conference and participates in MLS. The team was organized in 1994 and began playing in 1996 as one of the league’s ten representatives. Its owner is Anschutz Entertainment Group, the primary shareholder.
1996 – 2002
The debut LA Galaxy logo featured a spiral galaxy. A “whirlwind” with a stylized black border was meant to symbolize the metropolis’ noise and the intensity of the sport. Orange was a reference to sunny California. The name of the team was placed inside a whirlwind. The font reflected the Art Deco style, closely associated with the charming Golden Age of Hollywood. Light blue sans serif letters were trimmed with white-and-black contour. “L” and “A,” which melded at the lowest point, stood for the city of Los Angeles.
2003 – 2007
In 2003, designers slightly altered the LA Galaxy logo. The blue circle around the twisted spirals disappeared, and the “Galaxy” wordmark turned bright green. The shades of orange were changed as well: the galactic background behind the inscription became saturated. The black abstract shield remained the same.
2007 – today
The new LA Galaxy logo was unveiled in 2007 when David Beckham signed a contract with the club. It was adopted to match the high status of the new player. The general manager Alexi Lalas decided to conduct a partial re-branding, so he addressed SME Branding to develop brand identity using the official franchise colors.
The focal point of the LA Galaxy emblem is a triangular-shaped English heraldic shield. Its upper part is cut off at the corners by two inverted arcs. The top includes a stylized four-pointed star on a dark blue background. It is a quasar, an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus. It may be found on the 1957 Seal of Los Angeles County and the flag of the city.
The uppercase abbreviation “LA” is placed under the star. The white letters are trimmed with light gray outlines. The bottom part of the shield is adorned with a wide horizontal golden ribbon, containing the black “Galaxy” inscription. The ribbon is as golden as the contour around the logo. The given color is a reference to stars, the history of the soccer club, and “the Golden State,” a popular designation for California. The name of the team is in the chopped font. Despite the absence of gradients, the logo has a 3D effect due to the shade alternations.
Font and Colors
All three LA Galaxy Club logos are dedicated to the space theme. The first two versions, which were used from 1996 to 2007, contained an abstract image of the galaxy in the form of an orange spiral. After the redesign, the main hint at space became a large multicolored star with four rays. And not just a star, but a super-bright quasar, which is located in the center of each active galaxy. So with the modernization of shape and style, the meaning remained the same.
Apparently, the font of the inscription “LA GALAXY” was developed by the designers of the SME Branding studio, who were engaged in creating a logo for the football club. They made it simple but very stylish. It is a minimalist grotesque with clearly defined lines and pronounced geometry. Interestingly, in “LA” and “GALAXY,” the letter “A” is written differently. In the abbreviation “A” has a rounded top and a shortened horizontal stroke.
The color scheme of the picture corresponds to the club’s palette, which contains white, gold, and dark blue. But the emblem creators supplemented this combination with two new shades of yellow and blue and added a small silver outline around the abbreviated name of the city.
LA Galaxy color codes
Dark Sapphire | Hex color: | #00245d |
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RGB: | 0 36 93 | |
CMYK: | 100 61 0 64 | |
Pantone: | PMS 2757 C |
Medium Persian Blue | Hex color: | #0065a4 |
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RGB: | 0 101 164 | |
CMYK: | 100 38 0 36 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7691 C |
Yellow | Hex color: | #ffd200 |
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RGB: | 255 210 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 18 100 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 109 C |