MLS GO
Go Big. Go Soccer.
MLS GO is a new recreational youth league whose mission is to close the accessibility gap and to inspire a new generation of keepers and strikers obsessed with soccer at an earlier age. Athletics designed MLS GO’s name and brand identity to balance the inherent seriousness of Major League Soccer with enthusiasm and approachability. Because starting a new sport can be intimidating both for parents and their children, the MLS GO identity system is anchored by a friendly, soccer-playing character, Golazo, in the tradition of World Cup mascots.
Our Role:
Brand Identity
Concept Development
Art Direction
Motion Graphics
Video Direction
Physical Environments
Brand Writing
Collaborators:
MLS team, Jon Portman
Welcome, future stars.
MLS GO is a new recreational youth league whose mission is to close the accessibility gap and get a new generation of keepers and strikers obsessed with soccer at an earlier age. Targeting specific cities near MLS-affiliated clubs (including NEXT and NEXT Pro clubs), MLS and its partners aim to expand soccer out of the suburbs and into communities close to professional and advanced development teams. The hope is to create a virtuous cycle, helping young fans deepen their love of the game by playing more, which will hopefully make them more connected to their hometown clubs as well.
MLS for all.
Based on insights from our research, we designed MLS GO’s name and brand identity to be disarmingly friendly. Our goal was to balance the inherent seriousness of a professional brand (MLS) with enthusiasm and approachability. Because starting a new sport can be intimidating—both for parents and their children—and we wanted this league to feel as welcoming as possible to as many people as possible. To achieve this balance, we designed our system around a friendly, soccer-playing character, in the tradition of World Cup mascots. Golazo, as it’s affectionately known inside the walls of our studio, lives and breathes soccer. He juggles, dribbles, back-heels, and bicycle-kicks with the best of ’em. We decided on the name MLS GO because of its active nature and linguistic immediacy. It’s a name second graders can understand and appreciate.
Flex your team colors.
Much like the MLS system, we designed MLS GO to accommodate the identities and color palettes of the league’s constituent teams. While our core palette is a vibrant and fun mix of bright green, yellow, blue, and purple, the system can adapt to the market in which it lives. An MLS GO league based in Atlanta can use the red, black, and gold of Atlanta United FC to draw a tighter connection with the club. Another MLS GO league in New York could take on the sky blue of NYCFC. This flexibility is key to helping MLS GO take root in different markets.
