Minas Tênis Clube (MTC) is a multi-sport and social club founded in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on November 15, 1935. Its visual identity centers on a shield-shaped crest in Royal Blue and White, colors that have defined the club’s branding since its early years. The club’s founding act was signed in 1935, and its first unit was inaugurated in November 1937, with the logo already crowning the clock tower building at that time. [1] [2]
Design and History
The creation of the MTC shield is attributed to Érico de Paula, a designer, illustrator and caricaturist associated with the modernist movement in Belo Horizonte during the late 1920s and 1930s. According to the club’s own memory center, de Paula was a significant figure in the city’s graphic design history and is credited with creating the club’s logo. The exact date of the mark’s creation is not documented, but photographs show it was already displayed at the club’s inauguration in November 1937, placed above the name “Minas Tennis Club” on the clock tower building. By the following year, the shield appeared on the women’s volleyball team uniforms and on the club flag. [2]
The mark’s design resembles a heraldic shield, with an undulating upper cut, two inclined straight segments on the sides and a slightly wavy lower cut forming a point. Research by the club’s memory center notes that similar shield formats were common among contemporary sports associations in Brazil, including the Clube Atlético Mineiro of the 1930s and 1940s, which also featured the club’s initials on a band with vertical bicolor stripes. [2]
From the 1970s until June 2004, the shield in printed club communications appeared surrounded by the words “Cultura Esporte Educação” (Culture, Sport, Education). Starting in July 2004, the shield began appearing without those words and accompanied by the club’s full name. [3]
For the club’s 90th anniversary in 2025, a commemorative logo was created and used alongside the traditional shield on official merchandise, including the basketball team’s commemorative jersey. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The club’s official explanation of its colors states that the shield combines Royal Blue and White. Blue is described as representing the gathering of all the good feelings of life, emotional balance and intellectual virtues, while white is described as the union of all the colors of the rainbow. This explanation appears in the club’s own communications and in coverage of the club by the Liga Nacional de Basquete. [5] [6]
The club organizes its activities around four pillars: Sport, Culture, Education and Leisure. In the club’s website color-coding system, the Sport pillar is represented by a lighter “Classic Blue” tone, distinct from the Royal Blue of the club’s shield. [5]
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