Discussion Prison Bars debate

[RossFC]

In sports there are away/clash jumpers. Something every club should have. We aint selling chocolate or coke here.

 

[TY24]

If Fanta and Sprite were both sold in Orange cans, of course you could still read the label and tell which is which, but looking over a fridge display as a whole the brand identity of both would be diluted.

I present to you two of the worlds largest sporting brands, both likely worth more than all 34 AFL and NRL clubs combined.





For what its worth, 7Up and Mountain Dew are both sold by the same company in near identical green bottles. Your argument doesn't quite work.

 

[parano1a]

For what its worth, 7Up and Mountain Dew are both sold by the same company in near identical green bottles.

They aren't sold by the same company in their home market (USA). Mountain Dew is a Pepsi product, 7up is a different company. Both are distributed by Schweppes/Asahi in Australia.

 

[bomberclifford]

AFL is a product, just like Coca-Cola. It is in the league's interests to retain sufficient differentiation between the brand identities of its clubs, with a different mascot/nickname and colour palette each. Any official AFL merchandise in black and white is therefore immediately associated with Collingwood, yellow and black with Richmond and so on. Coca-Cola's different soft drink product lines for example (Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Lift, Kirks etc) are packaged in completely different colour schemes for the same reason - brand differentiation. If Fanta and Sprite were both sold in Orange cans, of course you could still read the label and tell which is which, but looking over a fridge display as a whole the brand identity of both would be diluted.

It would have been quicker to say: “There isn’t one.”

 

[parano1a]

I present to you two of the worlds largest sporting brands, both likely worth more than all 34 AFL and NRL clubs combined.

This just proves my point that AFL clubs currently have much stronger brand differentiation than overseas soccer clubs (who could potentially have to play 100s of different opponent clubs given promotion/relegation, Champions league, FA Cup etc). This is a massive advantage from a marketing perspective, not something we want to erode. If there is an AFL team playing in black and white stripes that team is immediately identifiable as Collingwood. Red and white is immediately identifiable as Sydney. Red and black is immediately identifiable as Essendon. And so on.

 

[bomberclifford]

This is a massive advantage from a marketing perspective

Lol.

 

[El_Scorcho]

AFL is a product, just like Coca-Cola. It is in the league's interests to retain sufficient differentiation between the brand identities of its clubs, with a different mascot/nickname and colour palette each. Any official AFL merchandise in black and white is therefore immediately associated with Collingwood, yellow and black with Richmond and so on. Coca-Cola's different soft drink product lines for example (Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Lift, Kirks etc) are packaged in completely different colour schemes for the same reason - brand differentiation. If Fanta and Sprite were both sold in Orange cans, of course you could still read the label and tell which is which, but looking over a fridge display as a whole the brand identity of both would be diluted.

I note that you've moved away from Cadbury really quickly, wonder why that is.

 

[RossFC]

This just proves my point that AFL clubs currently have much stronger brand differentiation than overseas soccer clubs (who could potentially have to play 100s of different opponent clubs given promotion/relegation, Champions league, FA Cup etc). This is a massive advantage from a marketing perspective, not something we want to erode. If there is an AFL team playing in black and white stripes that team is immediately identifiable as Collingwood. Red and white is immediately identifiable as Sydney. Red and black is immediately identifiable as Essendon. And so on.

It's not going to be eroded just because Port Adelaide would wear it's proper club jumper (The Prison Bars) at home against other clubs.

This isn't and shouldn't be about Collingwood at all, that problem should end with us wearing a clash jumper.

This is about uniting Port Adelaide's brand at AFL and SANFL level. We are put at a disadvantage marketing wise because we have 2 brands in 1 club.

The PAFC needs 1 brand, 1 logo, 1 (home) jumper. I'd happily take the nickname Power (or have no nickname) and make a new singular logo that represents the club at AFL and SANFL level, but to lose (or be refused the right to wear) the Prison Bars jumper forever shouldn't be an option.

 

[parano1a]

This is about uniting Port Adelaide's brand at AFL and SANFL level. We are put at a disadvantage marketing wise because we have 2 brands in 1 club.

In the context of the national competition, this is irrelevant. Nobody cares what Port's reserves team wears or calls itself.

Port have every right to come up with a new brand and new colours/mascot/jumper if they so choose, however in the national competition they have no claim to Magpie emblem or black and white colours. By the same token, Glenelg (or Werribee or Claremont for that matter) has no right to the Tigers nickname or black and yellow colours in the context of the national competition.

 

[BlackWing]

Claremont are Dark Blue and Gold not black and yellow.

 

[TY24]

If there is an AFL team playing in black and white stripes that team is immediately identifiable as Collingwood. Red and white is immediately identifiable as Sydney. Red and black is immediately identifiable as Essendon. And so on.

I would’ve thought when you flicked on the TV and the TV guide says: AFL: Port Adelaide vs Sydney, the scoreboard on screen says PA - SYD, the game is being played at Adelaide Oval and the black and white guernseys have a Port Adelaide logo on them that it would be quite easy to work out that it is in fact Port Adelaide playing, not Collingwood.

 

[RossFC]

I would’ve thought when you flicked on the TV and the TV guide says: AFL: Port Adelaide vs Sydney, the scoreboard on screen says PA - SYD, the game is being played at Adelaide Oval and the black and white guernseys have a Port Adelaide logo on them that it would be quite easy to work out that it is in fact Port Adelaide playing, not Collingwood.

The big horizontal white line on the jumper is a give away.

The Port Panel (the back of the jumper) too is something our AFL and SANFL sides both have.

 

[Dylan8]

turned on the tv and thought it was collingwood not port. son's crying now. thanks port.

 

[Freight Train]

Port wearing the bars would have little to no consequence to Collingwood. The brand is not weaker. It’s not bad for marketing. People will not see Port on the telly and think it’s Collingwood.

We have two clubs in the A-League who both wear sky blue and this causes no issues to the brand of either club.

We have two clubs in the NBL who both wear red, black and white and this causes no issues to the brand of either club.

Port Adelaide wearing their bars and wearing their history makes for a stronger AFL, because a proud history is the best marketing for a club (see: West Coast recently returning to the royal and gold wings full time).

I’m yet to hear a single good reason after all these years as to why Port shouldn’t be in the bars full-time.

 

[magpienato]

My disagreement with the Prison Bars are more on the lines of principle rather than aesthetic but that's all I will say because I'd rather not spend the rest of the week replying to people going round and around in circles lol.

 

[rippersnipper]

This just proves my point that AFL clubs currently have much stronger brand differentiation than overseas soccer clubs (who could potentially have to play 100s of different opponent clubs given promotion/relegation, Champions league, FA Cup etc). This is a massive advantage from a marketing perspective, not something we want to erode. If there is an AFL team playing in black and white stripes that team is immediately identifiable as Collingwood. Red and white is immediately identifiable as Sydney. Red and black is immediately identifiable as Essendon. And so on.

Liverpool also wear red at home. I could turn on the tv and identify which of the three (them, United, and arsenal) were playing straight away. There are differences in the shirt/kit that should be fairly straightforward to identify. Barcelona and Levante both use blue and maroon stripes in their home kits, I could still easily tell them apart because they aren't identical kits. The prison bars aren't that similar to Collingwood's jumper, it shouldn't be hard to figure out which one is playing. I mean there's also a scoreboard on the screen and inbuilt tv guide available to figure out which one was playing if you really weren't sure.

 

[The_torpedo]

My disagreement with the Prison Bars are more on the lines of principle rather than aesthetic but that's all I will say because I'd rather not spend the rest of the week replying to people going round and around in circles lol.

What principle makes you disagree with the PBs?

 

[parano1a]

What principle makes you disagree with the PBs?

As a Western Bulldogs fan/member, how would you feel if Central Districts joined the AFL and retained their current SANFL colours and jumper?

 

[The_torpedo]

As a Western Bulldogs fan/member, how would you feel if Central Districts joined the AFL and retained their current SANFL colours and jumper?

I wouldn't care at all. It's their history, they should be allowed to wear it.

 

[Freshwater]

As a Western Bulldogs fan/member, how would you feel if Central Districts joined the AFL and retained their current SANFL colours and jumper?

I don’t like that idea. Two teams wearing red, white and blue called the Bulldogs would be ridiculous. But a slight change, like I think with the prison bars would be enough. Eg Navy blue instead of royal?
I actually think the Centrals jumper is better than ours.

 

[Freight Train]

I don’t like that idea. Two teams wearing red, white and blue called the Bulldogs would be ridiculous. But a slight change, like I think with the prison bars would be enough. Eg Navy blue instead of royal?
I actually think the Centrals jumper is better than ours.

In theory I’m sure the Central Districts wouldn’t be called the Bulldogs, just as Port won’t be called the Magpies.

Two different jumpers at the end of the day as well.

 

[lionbear]

The thing I find so funny, is Collingwood has one of the biggest brands in Australia, the fact they think Port wearing a Prision Bar Jumper could affect this is nearly laughable.

 

[Bwillow11]

As a Western Bulldogs fan/member, how would you feel if Central Districts joined the AFL and retained their current SANFL colours and jumper?

This is actually a really good analogy. Both wear blue, red and white in a striped jumper, yet there are slight differences. How would western bulldogs fans feel if this was the case? Would they be just as stubborn as us Collingwood fans?

 

[El_Scorcho]

It's a similar argument, certainly. But what's the point of inviting the Central Districts FC to the AFL if they aren't going to be the Central Districts that their supporters and the wider football community know and love? Sure, we can't have 2 teams named "Bulldogs", but outside of that, who cares, provided they provide a clash kit for away games?

Port Adelaide got to the AFL based on over a century of dominance. The league is richer for embracing the history of it's clubs.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I just don't understand how Collingwood managed to somehow effectively trademark a jumper materially similar enough to an existing clubs design then use the trademark to stop the club using it. It's like that American company trademarking ugg boots.

I'd honestly like to see Juventus FC sue the **** out of Eddie