The marketing component of a collaboration between sports apparel behemoth, Nike, and Los-Angeles-based apparel line, Undefeated, recently revealed an intricate logo to accompany the release of the partnership’s new line of soccer apparel.
“The Fives” soccer line, scheduled to launch exclusively at a pop-up in LA, feature the logo on clothing and jerseys, some of which can be seen in a promotional video released yesterday by Undefeated.
The release immediately drew the ire of naval personnel and military aficionados everywhere due to its striking resemblance to the Naval Academy’s coat of arms.
Perhaps Nike’s logo is the end result of an innocent coincidence, or maybe it’s a not-so-calculated decision by some Naval Academy admirers.
Either way you look at it, the number of similarities between the two are significant.
The Associated Press reported June 15 that Nike apologized to the Naval Academy and that the company will no longer use the logo.
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Jon Simkins is the executive editor for Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.