Anadolu Efes Spor Kulübü, the Istanbul-based professional basketball club founded in 1976, has undergone two significant visual identity changes in its history, both tied directly to regulatory and naming pressures rather than aesthetic preference alone.[1] The club’s current primary emblem, introduced for the 2018-2019 season, centers on a dark navy shield containing a stylized “Blazing Star” motif, with the club name and founding year as supporting elements.[2]
Design and History
The club’s first major rebrand came in 2011, when Turkey’s Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority (TAPDK) prohibited alcohol brands from naming sports clubs, forcing the team to drop “Pilsen” from its name.[3] The club proposed two new names, “Anadolu Efes” and “Efes Spor Kulübü,” and the former was approved.[3] The accompanying 2011 logo featured a white background with interlocking red, white and navy stars above a basketball, and was first used at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 2011-2012 season draw.[3][4] The star figure from the earlier logo was carried into the new design as its central element.[4]
In August 2018, the club announced another logo change, effective from the 2018-2019 season.[2] The new emblem was designed by the London-based agency Brown&co, whose co-founder Dave Brown described the process as working from an innovative, contemporary perspective aimed at appealing to the younger generation.[2] Club General Director Alper Yılmaz said the corporate identity was updated to better align with contemporary understanding while carrying forward the club’s values and basketball culture.[2]
For the 2025-2026 season, the club’s 50th anniversary, a special commemorative logo was created by the design studio 12 Yapım.[5] The anniversary emblem was used in the club’s corporate identity throughout the season, including on the new season jerseys unveiled at the EuroLeague Media Day in September 2025.[5][6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The club’s official statement on the 2018 logo explained its central motif in detail. The emblem features a “Blazing Star” formed from the combination of a blue arrow, symbolizing dedication, development and never giving up, with a torch representing victories, leadership, ethical rules, the youth development system and passion.[2] The dark navy background contains the club name, its founding year and a light blue frame as complementary elements.[2]
The earlier 2011 star-based logo was described at the time as symbolizing the club’s contributions to the development of Turkish basketball, its championships and the Korać Cup, with the star figure representing Anadolu Efes as the shining star of basketball.[4]
The 50th anniversary logo was described by the club as reflecting its vision of carrying a deep-rooted legacy into the future, embodying core values of success, passion and sustainability through a modern visual language.[5]
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