MLS club CF Montreal today unveiled its new brand, which will be launched for the 2023 season. The new crest is designed to pay tribute to the club's history, featuring the team's official name, lily floral decoration, the shield, the dominant blue colour and the year of the club's debut season, 1993. The blue and black stripes hark back to the club's early days, especially when it won its first title in 1994.
"Today we are turning another important page in our history," said Joey Saputo, chairman of the Montreal club's board of directors. "A few months ago, we began to reflect on our identity and our badge and concluded that a recalibration was necessary. Our staff, fans and partners have all clearly expressed their desire to restore certain elements that mark the club's history and are central to our identity. We've heard them loud and clear, and we're launching a badge that meets those demands."
"I am delighted that our name, Impact Blue, will dominate our new badge. I want to thank our employees, fans and partners for their contributions, as well as MLS kit supplier Adidas for their cooperation. Developing a new badge is a complex process that began before I took office. It is never easy to make new brands stand out in a huge ecology like MLS, both in establishing color and shape, "said Gabriel Gervais, the club's president and chief executive officer.
"The process surrounding the birth of the new badge also made it clear to us why we exist as an organization and why we are who we are," added Gabriel Gervais. "This badge is part of a broader reflection on the identity of the Montreal club. This process has also forced us to re-examine ourselves, which will affect the way we communicate in the future."
"We need to raise awareness of our role in Quebec, including developing local talent from the grassroots to the professional level, as well as the important role we play in giving back to the community, promoting football culture in the province, and representing and celebrating Montreal's identity," added Joe Saputo.
