On The USWNT’s “Stars Only” Crest

• **NOTE: This was originally written for Media Design: Design Principles Class as a part of my Master’s in Media Management degree at The New School***

This “inside-out” logo came about as a response to the team’s current equal pay lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation (which oversees the US Men’s and Women’s National Teams, as well as domestic club leagues such as the MLS and NWSL). The USSF’s lawyers released a statement discussing how women are inferior to men in terms of playing ability and therefore the men have a more demanding job.

Last week, the Women’s National Team wore their training jersey’s inside out in protest. This symbol was quickly adopted by fans of the team on social media as they expressed their displeasure with the federation. During the match, USSF President Carlos Cordeiro released an apology that was read on air during the ESPN Broadcast. Cordeiro resigned as USSF president last night. The team, motivated and frustrated by the lawsuit scored some impressive goals in their 3–1 victory over Japan. US Women’s Captain Megan Rapinoe expressed her displeasure with the federation during her post-match interview.

The symbol of the “inside-out crest” (Also known as 4 Stars Only) is powerful because of both its minimalism and strong message. The team’s 4 stars, representative of its 4 World Cup victories are still visible and highlighted in this design, but the crest, symbolic of the federation is eliminated. This symbol is simple to make, easy to sell (The Women’s National Team Players Association is selling t-shirts with the design), and easy to spread while having a strong message of equality. The colors, often seen in either navy blue or black, express the tone of serious protest.

Using Alana Wheeler’s Brand Ideals model, here is a breakdown of the “Inside Out Crest”

Vision- This crest represents the vision of gender-equal, not just in soccer and sports, but for women in all fields and occupations. The Women’s National team aspires to be role models for specifically young girls, but inspire the masses through their dominance on the field, and their willingness to stand up for a progressive feminist ideology off of it.

Meaning- The meaning of this brand is to separate the vision and the accomplishments of the Women’s National Team while separating it from the federation that will not give it equal pay. The symbol gives the team its own symbol that highlights its accomplishments while minimizing the federation it is fighting against.

Authenticity- The US Women’s National team created a symbol familiar to fans, but separate enough to official team branding to keep it authentic to the group and their causes. They are the four stars, not the crest.

Coherence- This logo is coherent to the Women’s national teams “official” kit and merchandise in order to have the intended “protest” effect it desires with its intentional omissions.

Differentiation- This logo is different from others in the soccer world because of its intense minimalism. It also lacks the capitalistic intentions of other logos due to its subtlety. No other women’s team has won as many, and perhaps most importantly, the Men’s National Team has won none.

Flexibility- Due to its simple nature, this crest can easily be changed to celebrate the Women’s National Team’s future on-field successes, such as an Olympics Gold Medal or a World Cup victory.

Longevity- The USSF changed its Men’s and Women’s National Team Logo in 2015. Even if a logo change were to happen again, the current design will represent the team at this moment, and changes could be made to represent the team in new, hopefully, better times.

Commitment- The Women’s National Team’s players have been consistently vocal in support of women’s rights, progressive values, equal pay and since the 2019 World Cup placed them in the spotlight on these issues. Even with a new coaching staff and players entering and exiting the squad since the World Cup, this messaging has been the same.

Value- The Women’s National Team and its Player’s Association creates value from this logo by selling merchandise that directly supports the player’s association and encouraging its supporters to share the logo and voicing their opinions on social media through individual player accounts.