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With the Eagles headed to the Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, Maryland-based ad agency Liquified Creative took a close look at the 2022 Eagles wordmark shift.

For some background, the old logo incorporated 3D elements and sharp edges. The organization kept the classic logo, so the only change essentially was an update to the font, or wordmark, that had been in use for over 20 years.

In an article titled, The Eagles have updated their wordmark and you probably won’t like it, editor Liam Jenkins said, “The new wordmark just feels boring. I understand that modern typography encourages rounded letters as it’s easier to market, put on merch, etc…but I can’t help but just feel like it’s the spice equivalent of a Chicken Korma. There’s nothing remotely unique or enticing about it.” Jenkin’s response was on par with many other fan responses. Most expressed disappointment, even noting that the shift even seemed “unnecessary.”

Currently, the new logo is being used across a multitude of public-facing media and materials.

While the official team logo remains primarily as the classic eagle, there is still something to be said about the impact of the brand shift.

Even a brand that stands the test of time sometimes requires a little refresh every few decades. Most brands undergo a refresh every 7-10 years, but the Eagles waited nearly 25.

Now that’s we’ve had the entire season to get used to it, do you support the move to the new wordmark? pic.twitter.com/6yztZnqx1n

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) February 7, 2023

When asked about the new wordmark, Liquified’s graphic designer, Kendall Brandt, said, “ I don’t necessarily like it. The new logo does not pair well with the eagle mascot.”

Brandt shared that the eagle’s head has “thick expressive lines” and the new wordmark comes across as flat in contrast to the dynamic feel of the mascot. She even went on to say that the original wordmark definitely reflects the same dynamic feeling of the eagle’s head. Brandt’s suggestion is to come up with a wordmark that is a mix of the new one and the old one, rather than sticking with the more dramatic modern shift that occurred in the brand just last year.

A popular Eagles publication, Bleeding Green Nation presented their readers with a poll that asked: “thumbs up or thumbs down for the Eagles’ new wordmark.” The results showed 12% of respondents voting thumbs up while 88% of respondents voting thumbs down.

So then why update the wordmark?

Shifting logos can increase merchandising income for sports organizations as fans love to deck themselves out in their favorite team’s swag.  But, according to The Athletic, the new logo will not appear on the jerseys until 2024 at the earliest.

Regardless, an NFL team’s wordmark is not some minor thing. It’s how the team name is presented to the world. Especially if the team gets to the Super Bowl, like the Eagles.

NBC Sports stated it perfectly, “In other words, Eagles fans, the time is coming to open up those wallets unless you want to be walking around wearing stuff with an obsolete wordmark.”

As the Eagles head to the Superbowl in a few days, keep your eyes peeled for the wordmark in the end zone. Undeniably, Liquified Creative, and a majority of the Eagles’ fanbase, think that the new wordmark won’t be pushing fans to buy new merchandise solely because of the brand shift. Ultimately, we’ll find out who’s sporting the updated branding, and who’s wearing the classics, this Sunday at Super Bowl LVII.