The Brisbane Broncos appear set to adopt a new look, with an administrative move hinting at its first major rebranding in a quarter of a century.
The club has designed what appears to be a new club logo, in the shape of a shield, featuring the familiar Broncos horse motif.
Records show Brisbane Broncos Corporation Pty Ltd submitted the design to IP Australia for trademark protection last Wednesday.
The Brisbane Broncos’ logo submitted for trademark protection, alongside the current (left) and original (right) logos.Credit: Composite by Matt Absalom-Wong
While the image was in black-and-white, a fully realised logo would probably incorporate the Broncos’ club colours of maroon, white and yellow.
But a Broncos spokeswoman remained coy about whether it would ultimately appear on the club’s jerseys next season.
“A newly created corporate design was recently submitted to IP Australia,” she said.
“The design has not been approved, accepted or registered at this point.”
Griffith University sports marketing expert Jason Doyle said the logo appeared designed for both physical and digital contexts.
“It’s much less busy than the current Bronco and has a bolder, more dynamic, feel to it,” he said.
“It has some nice touches like the subtle B integrated in the nose too – although I would be shocked if the final product is black and white.”
But Doyle said there were risks associated with clubs changing their looks too often.
“Simple and consistent branding stands the test of time in sport – think about the iconic Dallas Cowboys logo for example,” he said.
“In Australia, we’ve seen different phases of what logos were used for. Rugby league in the ’90s and 2000s was heavily focused on vibrant colours and cartoon character-like brands, focused on kids.
“Now the trend seems to be the simpler, the better.
“Research shows that brand evolutions, rather than brand revolutions, face less criticism from fans, but even minor tweaks to brands fans love and know can receive backlash.
“Wherever possible, preserve tradition.”
University of Queensland Associate Professor Sheranne Fairley, an expert on sports economics, said branding approaches varied due to a club’s or franchise’s history.
“Carlton Football Club is steeped in history, so a change there could be seen as kind of monumental, whereas I guess the Broncos have been around since ’88, and so they’re more modern in that regard,” she said.
Fairley said it was difficult to comment on the new Broncos design without knowing the story behind the logo.
“At a guess, and it’s only a guess, the stripe through the horse could represent imagery of the city of Brisbane’s identity – the river running through Brisbane – as Brisbane is known as the river city,” she said.
The tossed horse’s head on the new club crest appears to be a throwback to the original club logo from 1988.
In that year, the Broncos were admitted into what was then the NSW Rugby League competition alongside the Newcastle Knights and the erstwhile Gold Coast-Tweed Giants (later Seagulls).
The current club logo was adopted in 2000 and slightly modified in 2006.
