The PSG club identity, the logo of the soccer team, reflects its history and the history of its glorious victories. The modern emblem symbolizes the team’s commitment to its city and its desire to constantly improve its achievements and meet the expectations of its fans.
PSG: Brand overview
Founded: | 12 August 1970 |
Founder: | Qatar Sports Investments |
Headquarters: |
Paris, France |
Website: | psg.fr |
Meaning and History
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. seems like a teenager compared to other famous football clubs: he recently turned only 50 years old. But during this time, he managed to radically change his image, creating a modern three-dimensional logo with the image of the Eiffel Tower in a blue circle. The iconic building symbolizes Paris. At its foot is painted a golden fleur-de-lis, which was borrowed from the arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Previously, it was combined with a cradle, hinting that King Louis XIV was born in that city. That is, the visual identification of PSG goes beyond football because the emblem only resembles a ball in shape, but in meaning, it is tied to the historical heritage of the team.
What is PSG?
PSG (short for Paris Saint-Germain) is a professional football club from France competing in Ligue 1. Founded in 1970, the team gradually became the leader in domestic football. The most successful team in the country has earned over 40 prestigious awards and numerous titles. Home matches are played at Parc des Princes stadium.
1970 – 1972
A blue ball and a red boat, the symbol of Paris that was placed on one of the hexagons, represented the first emblem of PSG in 1970-1972. Also, there was an inscription “Paris St. Germain Football Club” made in large red letters and placed under the ball.
1972 – 1982
In 1972, the first version reserved the Paris FK club, only transferring the lower signature. Paris Saint-Germain designed a new emblem, which now can surely be regarded as historical.
The red Eiffel Tower, depicted on a blue background with a white framing, was the basis of the logo. Also, there was a cradle with a lily, placed at the tower’s bottom, as the sign of the team’s origin from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where the castle is located. The mansion often served as the residence of the French monarchs, where the young heirs of the royal throne lived and were brought up. This version of the emblem existed until 1982 and also reappeared in 1990-1992.
1982 – 1990
From 1982 to 1990, the Parc des Princes logo was used. The artists presented the club’s football stadium in the form of a large black-and-white ring with ledges; that is, they tried to convey the real shape of the building. At the same time, the iconic red and blue badge from the Eiffel Tower did not disappear anywhere – it hung directly above the stadium, hinting at the supremacy of Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
1990 – 1992
In the early 1990s, the PSG emblem created in 1972 is back. This version was the same as the original because the developers removed the Parc des Princes.
1992 – 1996
In 1992, the emblem was radically changed. Having lost all the former attributes, the logo turned into three rectangles, inserted with the letters P, S, and G. A decoding “Paris Saint-Germain” was designed below.
Such a risky change of the emblem was a bold PR-move of the club’s management and Canal +, the TV company that owned the club at that time. Under the influence of the fans’ discontent, this PSG logo soon lost its official status, although it has sometimes been used for advertising purposes.
1996 – 2002
The public did not like the wordmark created by Étienne Robial in 1992. In the mid-1990s, protesting fans got their way: the football club restored the iconic badge of the Eiffel Tower, the fleur-de-lis, and the cradle that symbolized the birth of King Louis XIV in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. At the same time, the designers went even further, adding a wide white ring on the outside with a blue outline and the inscription “PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.” An arch-shaped phrase occupied the upper half, and at the very bottom was written the year PSG was founded: 1970. In the version used until 2002, the colors had a purple tint.
2002 – 2010
In 2002, the logo was updated, reflected in the palette: the blue became darker and more saturated, and the red took on a bright scarlet hue. Meanwhile, the outlines and inscriptions were repainted in white. At the same time, the designers had to make the annular frame blue so that the readability of the text did not deteriorate. Reducing letter spacing increased the compactness of the phrase “PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.” But the typeface remained virtually unchanged: the football club’s name and its founding year continued to use bold geometric sans serifs. But the artists improved the shape of the fleur-de-lis, giving it a sophisticated look.
2010 – 2011
In 2010, PSG turned 40 years old. The sports organization has enhanced its iconic logo to celebrate the occasion with a golden border of four half-rings on the right and left, two on each side. In each pair, the outer arc was wide, while the inner arc was narrow. In the skylight at the top was the inscription “40 ANS”, indicating the age of the club. And at the bottom appeared the number “2010” – the year when Paris Saint-Germain F. C. reached its fortieth birthday.
2011 – 2013
2011 marked the return of the old emblem, used before the temporary anniversary version of the logo. But less than two years later, the football organization updated its identity.
2013 – today
The inscription Paris on the current PSG logo (officially formed in 2013) is made in a much larger font. Saint-Germain, having kept the old format, moved to the logo bottom. The reason is the Qatar owners of “PSG” (who bought a controlling stake in May 2011) to emphasize the club’s capital nature by minimizing the links to Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
In addition to the fact that in the PSG logo, the color scheme of the French flag is recreated, it is also a reminder of the club’s colors, the merger of which was formed by “PSG.” Blue and red are the colors of the Paris city flag and the “Paris FK.” White is the color of the T-shirts of the club Stade Saint-Germain from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, north of the capital.
The main element of the logo is a stylized image of the famous Eiffel Tower. The new version has a three-dimensional effect, which, according to the plan, should be associated with the red pulsating heart.
The heraldic lily (fleur de lys) image is a symbol of royal power in France. In the new version of the club, the flower became larger and was painted in gold color, not in white. With it, “PSG” won the “gold” of France’s championship in a couple of months. It was the first time in 19 years.
In the new version of the PSG emblem, there was no place for the previously unchanged cradle, which is considered to be an urban symbol of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where the famous “Sun King” Louis XIV was born. The date of the club’s creation (1970) is no longer depicted on the emblem. It is explained the next way, “PSG is the trend with no time measures.”
Font and Colors
In 2013, the designers changed the typography to highlight the stand-alone word “PARIS” and position the PSG sports club as a global brand. Now it is written in large bold letters with clear angles and smooth curves. But for “SAINT-GERMAIN,” on the contrary, a thin font of a reduced size was chosen. Both parts of the inscription are united by upper case and lack of serifs.
The emblem uses the national colors of France: red, white, and blue. They originated in the French Revolution of 1789-1799 and are now featured on the country’s official flag. The designers decorated the PSG graphic sign with a radial gradient to make it look voluminous and colorful. At the same time, its light center is shifted to the upper left corner – this way, the logo seems more dynamic. The only element that stands out from the overall palette is the golden fleur-de-lis. The artists made the fleur-de-lis so prominent because it is an important symbol of the city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
PSG color codes
Indigo Dye | Hex color: | #004170 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 65 112 | |
CMYK: | 100 42 0 56 | |
Pantone: | PMS 541 C |
Maximum Red | Hex color: | #da291c |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 218 41 28 | |
CMYK: | 0 81 87 15 | |
Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |
Satin Sheen Gold | Hex color: | #ceab5d |
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RGB: | 63 194 204 | |
CMYK: | 60 0 23 0 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7407 C |