3 ways the Washington Commanders rebrand was a success

Just like that, the rebrand has come and gone.

On Wednesday morning, president Jason Wright, team legend Doug Williams and current captain Jonathan Allen announced the new Washington Commanders nickname alongside new uniforms and a refurbished logo.

Of course, the announcement didn’t come with much surprise, as there had been a number of unfortunate leaks throughout the build up, the latest of which surfaced just hours before the reveal.

Despite the leaks and lack of shell-shock from fans, we feel confident saying the rebrand was a success. The live announcement on the NBC Today Show was a little stale, but that was to be expected. More importantly, the afterparty at FedEx Field and overall promotion were executed to a tee.

Of course, there’s more that goes into deeming a groundbreaking day like this a win than an afterparty and nailing advertisements.

With that in mind, let’s highlight a few things that made the Commanders rebrand be largely well-received by fans.

How the Washington Commanders rebrand was a success

3. They crushed the hype video

We’ll keep this brief, because it probably got lost in the shuffle 10 minutes after it was posted to Washington’s social media accounts. However, it’s a huge deal and we have to tip our cap to everyone involved for crushing it.

Between the highlight montage, which had us ready to run through a brick wall, letting fans be a part of the video, giving Brian Mitchell, Joe Theismann, Jennifer King, who’s about to make history at the East-West Shrine Bowl, Joe Gibbs, Doug Williams and Ron Rivera their own lines and the shivering synced-up image of Jonathan Allen, Terry McLaurin and Chase Young saying “We are the Commanders,” the hype video had a little bit of everything.

We didn’t even mention the uniform tease!

In all seriousness, though, it’s tough to envision Washington doing better with the hype video. If the intention was to make a statement and trigger excitement amongst fans, they accomplished that with room to spare.

2. Involving former players

This might not seem like a big deal, but Washington has made a habit out of making simplistic decisions seem like brain surgery. In this instance, though, the team did a great job to incorporate current players and alumni.

The standouts who attended Wednesday’s reveal include London Fletcher, Dexter Manley, Jordan Reed and Pierre Garcon.

In another neat touch from the franchise that deserves a round of applause, the likes of Fletcher, Joe Theismann, who clearly isn’t a fan of surprises, and Gary Clark were all invited to share their thoughts on the rebrand.

We, unfortunately, were not in attendance, so we can’t confirm how much of the guest list made an appearance. However, we’re delighted to convey that Brian Mitchell, Santana Moss, Chris Baker, Brian Orakpo, Fred Smoot, Rick “Doc” Walker and Darrel Young were all asked to be involved in the celebration.

Again, it’s a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, but having former players on hand to witness the transition really made it feel like the dawn of a new era. Two years ago, we’re not sure if Washington would’ve taken the initiative.

That’s a job well done.

1. New helmet and uniforms

They’re not perfect, but Washington fans should definitely feel some level of satisfied with the new uniform set.

It’s a pack of three. Yes, Washington now (hopefully) has a consistent alternative look to rock through the course of a season. The home jersey consists of the familiar burgundy and gold coloring pattern. The gold trim near the shoulder pads is a great touch and really helps complete the look.

These might be the consensus fan favorite to start, as it sticks to the organization’s roots and extensive history. The red, matte-laced helmets are a thing of beauty. They even make the panned new “W” logo look presentable.

Moving on two the road whites. We’re still working on talking ourselves into them. They just give off a huge Falcons and Cardinals vibe. Why abandon the normal color scheme? Washington’s the Burgundy and Gold. Not Burgundy and Red.

Perhaps it’ll look better on the players than it did on the mannequins, but we get the sense the new red is going to stick out like a sore thumb.

https://twitter.com/Commanders/status/1488874954707939333

Last, but certainly not least, is the black alternates. The leaked copies of this set looked rough at first, but the real-life version is incredibly appealing. The only complaint we have is that the “W” logo looks out of place on the front of the helmet, but the letters are gorgeous, as is the burgundy and gold crest on the shoulder pad.

Can you imagine how pretty these would look under the lights in primetime? That’s definitely on the way-too-early bucket list for 2022. Either way, Washington finally having a regular alternative jersey is truly an underrated perk of the rebrand.

Don’t let it go unnoticed!

We obviously don’t expect everyone to like them, but we’re trying to keep an open mind and it’s not like they’re repulsive. Take a look around the league and try to name 10 teams with a more unique uniform set.

Between the riveting hype video, doing right by former greats that have passed through the organization and having them on hand at FedEx Field and unveiling a mostly-engaging uniform set, how can you not draw the conclusion that the Washington Commanders’ rebrand was a success?

Not a smashing success, but a success, and that alone is significant.