ALBA Berlin is a German professional basketball club based in Berlin, competing in the Basketball Bundesliga and European competitions. The club was founded in 1989 as BG Charlottenburg and was renamed ALBA Berlin in 1991, when the Berlin-based recycling firm ALBA Group became its principal sponsor and namesake.[1][2] The team is nicknamed the “Berlin Albatrosse,” and the albatross serves as the club’s heraldic animal.[3]
Design and History
The current ALBA Berlin logo was introduced ahead of the 2015/2016 season, marking the first major overhaul of the club’s visual identity in 25 years.[4] The redesign was developed by the Berlin communications agency Die Brüder, which had advised the club on communication and brand identity since 2010.[5]
According to ALBA Berlin’s communications director Justus Strauven, the key changes were deliberate: the club removed red from the logo and its overall color scheme because that color was strongly associated with rival teams. The word “Berlin” was significantly enlarged in the wordmark to strengthen identification with the city, and the albatross figure was reworked and mirrored so that it now flies forward.[4] Club managing director Marco Baldi described the new logo as “clearer and more modern,” with reduced graphic effects, while noting that the changes were made carefully to preserve a link to the club’s tradition.[4]
The club’s corporate design manual describes the logo revision in more detail: the basic forms were reduced to a basketball in the background and the wordmark, the former red area behind the ALBA BERLIN lettering was removed, and the wordmark became more compact. The three-dimensional appearance of the ball is no longer simulated through gradients but expressed through the form of the lines, including the ball seams and the outline around the albatross.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The albatross in the logo references the team’s nickname, the “Berlin Albatrosse,” which has been associated with the club since its early years.[3] The club’s slogan, “Mit Leib und Seele” (With Body and Soul), remained unchanged through the 2015 redesign.[4]
The club’s official team colors are yellow, navy, and blue.[7] The 2015 redesign removed red from the palette, which the club explained was because red was heavily used by competing teams.[4]
Typography and Design
The 2015 redesign introduced a curved wordmark arrangement, with “ALBA” and “BERLIN” set in an arc. The club’s communications director noted that “Berlin” was deliberately enlarged to emphasize the club’s connection to its home city.[4] Design commentary at the time noted that the curved lettering was a notable departure from the previous straight wordmark, though critics were divided on its effectiveness.[5]
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