The Essendon Football Club, known as the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL).[1] The club’s visual identity is built around its red and black colours and the bomber aircraft motif that has been central to its emblem since the 1940s.[2]
Design and History
The Essendon Football Club was formed in 1872 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022.[3] The club adopted the nickname “the Bombers” in 1940, during the early phases of World War II, due to Windy Hill’s proximity to the Essendon Aerodrome.[4]
The current logo, featuring a bomber jet, was unveiled in 1997.[4] The design was registered as a trade mark with IP Australia in July 1997, described as a “bomber in inverted triangle below word in shield.” The coloured version of the mark is depicted in red, black and silver.[5] The 1997 emblem has remained one of the oldest unchanged emblems in the AFL.[4]
In 2021, the club revealed a commemorative 150-year logo for its 2022 season, designed in-house. The anniversary logo was described by CEO Xavier Campbell as a design that “takes parts of logos from past years and brings them together.”[6] The commemorative mark incorporated several historical elements: flags flanking either side nod to the 1900-1970 period, a shield centrepiece draws from the early-1920s with a hint of the retro shield logo from the 1990s, a scroll base references the 1946-1971 period, and a layered “EFC” symbol was drawn from one of the earliest club logo designs in 1910.[6]
In June 2023, club president Dave Barham confirmed the club was conducting a preliminary research project centred around the Essendon brand and its elements, stating there was “no immediate action to change the club logo or any elements of the club brand.”[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bomber aircraft in the club’s emblem reflects the club’s nickname, adopted in 1940 due to Windy Hill’s proximity to the Essendon Aerodrome.[4] The club’s red and black colours are a defining element of its identity, described by the club as “bold” and symbolic of the club’s history and success.[8]
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