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It is only the second major logo change in the brand’s 121year history. From its founding in the United Kingdom in
1895 until 1986, the brand featured a Union Jack flag. In
1986 it switched to the vector logo, which will be gradually
phased out on all products except Reebok Classics. The new
delta logo, which has been used on some of the company’s
Crossfit gear, will be rolled out broadly on footwear and
apparel this month.
“For 30 years we’ve been successfully making products for
elite athletes in every imaginable sport, but what we haven’t
been able to do is inspire enough people to move,” said Matt
O’Toole, Reebok Chief Marketing Officer, in a video posted
on YouTube. “It’s an invitation for all of us to take part and
fight against complacency for everyday people not just super
stars and elite athletes.”
Reebok has a long history of endorsing elite athletes, from
basketball stars Allen Iverson and Yao Ming to football players
like Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis. It has also outfitted
baseball, tennis, soccer and hockey players. Reebok gave up
its NFL sponsorship in 2012 and rumors have circulated that
the brand could be replaced by parent company Adidas on
NHL jerseys -- there is precedent, Adidas replaced Reebok as
an NBA sponsor in 2006.
As the brand has ceded deals with professional leagues to its
parent company, it has embraced Crossfit, yoga, dance and
aerobics, as a means to grow its business. Reebok has also
teamed up with Les Mills -- known for exercise programs like
Bodypump and Bodycombat -- as well as the Spartan Race
series of obstacle course races.
The new logo coincides with the brand’s “singular” focus on
fitness. “Through the millennia the delta has been a symbol
of change and transformation,” the company explained in
a press release. “The Reebok Delta has three distinct parts
each representing the changes -- physical, mental and social
-- that occur when people push themselves beyond their
perceived limits and embrace an active and challenging life.”
The delta symbol, of course, will also look familiar to anyone
who has recycled, used Google Drive or flown Delta Air Lines.
Earlier this month, Reebok selected indie agency Venables
Bell & Partners as its new global lead agency after a review.
The account had flip-flopped between Omnicom’s DDB and
Dentsu’s McGarrybowen over the course of the last decade.
Though sales at Reebok have been sluggish in recent years,
the brand is showing some signs of improvement. During the
most recent quarter, sales increased 5%, and executives said
the brand would grow for the full year.