The Umbro Diamond
You may have noticed the new Umbro logo in the top left of this blog. This is our new company identity which will be on some of our product and advertising from next month. Inspired by this blog post which details the logo evolution of dozens of famous companies, I decided to take a look at how the Umbro logo has changed over the last 75 years.
I have searched through our archives and put together a potted history of the logo. Unfortunately, whilst I have the visual identity and how that’s changed I don’t have much documentation about why it was designed the way it was for example, I can only speculate why the designers chose a diamond as a base shape:
The logo hasn’t really changed much over 85 years it’s been around (started as “Humphreys Brothers Ltd.” in 1924). The logo started as the company name framed in a diamond, an iconic shape for years to come. Over time, it shape-shifted, with lines disappearing or multiplying and fonts moving from formal to playful. All the while, the diamond shape remained a solid and confident mark. Whilst searching through the archives I came across these logos from a 1973 brochure. As you can see, the range of sports covered tennis, cricket, hockey, athletics and even gymnastics.
The logos from the 50s and 60s took on different colours (this was after all the age of technicolour!) and the shape became a container for the name. The 50s and 60s threw up some amazing logos (see this set by the legendary Paul Rand)
Over the years there have been many other variations. Our office favourite (I mean my favourite 
) is the 66 logo, which was used on back neck labels throughout the 70s.
) is the 66 logo, which was used on back neck labels throughout the 70s.
I have uploaded all of these logos and more to our flickr profile. As with a lot of our history, bits have been lost along the years, but in a way that makes joining up the dots more interesting.
Which is your favourite?
On 20 Feb 2009, at 9:35 pm Austin wrote:
Will the logo in the upper left of this website appear on kits in the near future?
On 24 Feb 2009, at 8:13 am tom wrote:
Thanks for your comment. The logo will start to appear on some of our products soon.
On 24 Feb 2009, at 1:51 pm Joe White wrote:
First of all I think it’s great that this is being publicly archived along with the old shirts.
I used to send my own kit designs to Umbro when I was a kid and I now work as a designer and often do logo’s so I found this really interesting. Love the link to the 50′s & 60′s logos too.
I must admit I did not notice the subtle logo change at first, back to the old non-elongated shape, it looks good, and I am glad the very 90′s chunky typeface has been dropped (I can email you my new wording design if you like!?)
The best news perhaps is that it must mean that some ‘leaked’ designs for the new England shirt (featuring red sleeves) must be fake as they have the old logo on. Thank god.
The only problem with the new logo is that it is the wrong colour! Especially if the rumours that Umbro is to supply Manchester City again are true? Which would also mean a 75 year anniversary since Umbro first produced a football shirt in 1934 for City who won the FA cup in it (yes I did read the wiki link!)
On 25 Feb 2009, at 11:14 am tom wrote:
Thanks very much for your comment. I am afraid that I cannot confirm or deny anything related to kits or comment on sponsorships. We have a new stacked version of our logo complete with the umbro text which I will post on our flickr profile. I would love to see your design though, please send it over to blog@umbro.co.uk.
On 25 Feb 2009, at 1:17 pm Fiona wrote:
That 1924 logo looks almost sinister! Maybe it didn’t come across that way in 1924.
Really like the catalogue logos, they look a bit like they’ve been taken out of a children’s book!
On 25 Feb 2009, at 3:23 pm Tim Beadle wrote:
@Fiona,
The blackletter/gothic type in the 1924 example probably looks sinister because of its associations with Nazi Germany:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackletter
On 26 Feb 2009, at 12:17 pm New England Home Shirt: Mystery Unraveling | Football Parade! wrote:
[...] week, Umbro unveiled its newest version of its logo — a red diamond (pictured). Perhaps it’s a coincidence, or maybe the designers of the [...]
On 26 Feb 2009, at 1:08 pm Bishopville Red wrote:
What about the simple umbro wordmark that appeared at the turn of the millennium?
http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/ManUtdHCLSSWinnEmb9900.gif
On 5 Mar 2009, at 4:17 am Eleté wrote:
Its really great to see one of the big names tell us their history one on one over a blog. The current logo is really the prefect evolved form of the original logo.
I like how since a few years back Umbro really got into branding its kits with the diamonds on the shirt.
On 22 Mar 2009, at 10:35 am Adam Stacey wrote:
You should do the same for the history of your boots aswell.
On 8 Jan 2010, at 10:12 pm BarryJones wrote:
I saw the exact same shape as the modern umbro logo on the step of a door to one of the rhodes templars. Probably a templar family or sign.
It was within one of the main templar buildings within the old walls of Rhodes town.
On 14 Mar 2010, at 7:25 pm Sports brand logo designs | Logo Design Love wrote:
[...] Umbro — view the Umbro logo evolution [...]
On 8 May 2010, at 5:13 pm Umbro original 1924 Vector Logo (AI CDR) | HD icon - Not only HIGH DEFINITION icons wrote:
[...] blog.umbro.com [...]
On 8 May 2010, at 8:57 pm UMBRO 1960s Vector Logo (AI CDR) | HD icon - Not only HIGH DEFINITION icons wrote:
[...] blog.umbro.com [...]
On 8 May 2010, at 9:51 pm UMBRO 1992 Vector Logo (AI EPS CDR) | HD icon - Not only HIGH DEFINITION icons wrote:
[...] blog.umbro.com [...]
On 8 May 2010, at 10:07 pm UMBRO 1999 Vector Logo | HD icon - Not only HIGH DEFINITION icons wrote:
[...] blog.umbro.com [...]
On 6 Jun 2010, at 3:25 am Barry Jones wrote:
The logo, ( twin diamonds ), are an exact replica of the “logo”, ( sign / mark / identification ) on the floor at the entrance of a room within the palace of knights templars, ( if that’s how you spell it? ), in Rhodes old town, Rhodes, Greece. I know I’ve seen it. So – ‘Umbro’ you may be in breach of copyright…..perhaps! You may even owe a lot of money to some “family” for using the family crest, ( or mark ).
On 6 Jun 2010, at 3:28 am Barry Jones wrote:
Sorry – I have said this before in January 2010; that is, the twin diamond mark in Rhodes….forgive me for the duplication.
On 30 Aug 2010, at 7:51 am umbro « Cosas que [me] Importan wrote:
[...] Aquí vienen, en inglés, unos cuantos diseños del logo a través de los años. [...]
On 12 Feb 2011, at 2:21 pm Der Umbro Diamant der Humphrey Brothers wrote:
[...] noch wesentlich mehr über das Logo wissen möchte, der schaut am besten mal auf dem Umbro Blog vorbei. Wirklich ein sehr nettes Blog über die Marke, wo sich so man ein Unternehmen noch ein [...]
On 11 Feb 2012, at 8:49 pm Home Shirt wrote:
Hi, I log on to your blogs daily. Your writing style is witty, keep it up!