Established in 1881, Slazenger has a long-standing reputation for high-level sport. It began as a leading tennis and golf equipment manufacturer and expanded into various sports, clothing, and footwear markets. Known for its historic partnership with the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, supplying the official tournament balls since 1902, the company remains a popular and iconic brand today.
The brand has introduced a refreshed identity to modernize while honoring its rich heritage. A central element of this update is the revised Panther logo, which has been part of the brand since the 1960s. The previous iteration of the panther featured an awkward design with deformed limbs and an unnaturally thin tail, failing to capture the animal in motion effectively. The updated Panther logo is significantly improved and abstracted strategically to enhance its visual appeal.
The new panther design features a well-defined head with tiny ears and a strong jawline, giving it a fierce and dynamic appearance. While still slightly unusual, the front and hind legs present a more balanced and symmetrical form. This updated logo is enclosed within a yellow tennis ball, enhancing its iconic status and aligning it closely with the company’s longstanding association with tennis.
The wordmark has also changed. The old groovy, vintage-inspired typeface has been replaced with a modern sans serif. While the new font aims to present a clean and corporate image, its proportions are somewhat off, with smaller “e” s and “n” compared to the larger “a” and “g.” This shift to a more contemporary typeface might have benefited from retaining some vintage charm to connect more deeply with the brand’s historical roots.
The updated visual identity includes various design elements, such as clever tennis ball illustrations. However, the application of these illustrations is not clearly defined, leaving some ambiguity about their specific use. The new identity also features tightly typeset italic headlines using the sans serif font. While this could have been an interesting choice, the selected typeface does not integrate well with the minimal spacing, potentially causing visual discomfort.
Additionally, a condensed serif typeface appears on the brand’s website and social media platforms, diverging from the main sans serif style. This inconsistency in typography creates confusion about the brand’s direction. The varied photographic styles further contribute to this disjointed presentation. For instance, the clay-court-inspired photos with yellow accents look appealing but contrast sharply with other photographic choices.
The refreshed identity struggles to maintain a cohesive visual narrative. The brand oscillates between vintage charm, high-performance imagery, and lifestyle aesthetics without a target audience. This inconsistency is evident across different platforms, including the website and social media, where the branding appears fragmented.
Despite these challenges, the rebranding effort does have strong points. The revised Panther logo effectively modernizes a key brand element while maintaining a connection to the past. Using a yellow tennis ball as the logo’s backdrop cleverly reinforces the brand’s association with tennis. The new visual elements, though varied, showcase creativity and an attempt to balance heritage with contemporary appeal.
