Does deal with adidas stifle kit creativity?
The design of a jersey is the purest manifestation of a team’s identity. It’s not just about the jersey itself, but what it signifies. It’s why the seasonal jersey launch is anticipated by so many, with fans marking its release as an important date in their soccer calendars.
But while MLS was once renowned for its unique and distinct collection of jerseys, now there is a palpable sense of indifference around the designs being served up. As Brian Strauss wrote for Sports Illustrated after the release of this year’s crop, “you’ll see an awful lot of white and black, a ton of monochrome, and what looks like a conscious effort from several clubs to scrub every bit of individuality from their brand.”
Some argue this is a consequence of the centralized apparel deal MLS holds with adidas and that the contract, recently extended by six years to 2026, stifles the individual creativity of clubs.
What’s the incentive for adidas to create 23 truly original jerseys for its MLS teams if there is no external competition? Some jerseys have been homogenized over the years. Look at the Philadelphia Union, for instance, which recently toned down its once bold blue-and-gold color scheme complete with center stripe. Now, the club’s color scheme centers on more solids. The gold accents are more subtle, and there is no longer a center stripe.
Or Real Salt Lake’s iconic red-and-blue look that lost much of its blue over the years. It is now just another monochrome red uniform with a flash of blue.
And the third jerseys, once seen as a canvas for the more creative-minded are gone, with MLS now only permitting one jersey release per team every season.
Would it be better for MLS clubs to strike their own uniform deals with their own manufacturers and brands like they do in almost every other around the world?
“I do believe competition is always a good thing for creativity, especially with football kits,” said Nathen McVittie, co-founder of the creative agency Common Goal. “It would mean more bespoke designs because some brands want to be league known. Smaller brands like Umbro or Erreà might throw extra resources behind just one client to try and make a splash. I think there would be a lot of brands jumping to get a slice of the MLS pie at the moment.”
That may be true, but is it correct to assume more creativity would be afforded to each team with that model?
“I don’t really know if that would have an effect or not,” MLS’ vice president of consumer products, Mike Walker, said, fresh off a trip to meet with Adidas in Germany. “The current process is very collaborative and teams can pretty much do whatever they want.”
From a brand perspective, the value of a leaguewide deal with adidas is obvious.
“All teams are invested equally,” Walker elaborates. “You don’t have the largermarket teams outwitting the smaller-market ones, they all get the same level of service. And to have one of the largest sporting goods providers in the world as the brand the clubs are wearing on field is absolutely a big thing for the league.”
Walker is keen to stress the freedom each MLS club is given, even under the centralized deal with adidas. The German manufacturer will inform every MLS club of its overarching creative direction for the season ahead, but beyond that it’s largely up to teams to decide what they want to wear. An in-depth document is passed back and forth as clubs put forward ideas.
“Some of them will say, ‘We don’t know what we want, but can you help us do that?’ ” Walker said. “It’s a very collaborative process.”