The new logo replaces the old, obviously, but also does away with the confusing secondary Barclays logo. The full lion with a crown pawing a ball has been minimized to a ball-shaped lion head wearing a crown. Rendering animals as logos is very hard but this one manages to convey the main traits of a lion in a simple and convincing way. Most impressively (or most commendably), the face is not looking straightforward but has a three-quarter view which makes it even harder to draw but also breaks the expected symmetry. I like the lion drawing a lot, the snout and eyes are very well achieved and the mane feels full and healthy. The ear is the only thing that looks a little too cute and the crown maybe could have used some more heft to it somehow, like it’s too wispy. Still, it’s a difficult logo and it’s been done quite well.
The typography, well, it is what it is. I think DesignStudio has adopted a Capsule Wardrobe approach — think Steve Jobs wearing the same thing ever — that posits that taking the stress out of choosing a new wardrobe everyday and instead sticking to one limited and prescribed set of clothes frees up your mind for other important things. As it applies to typography and DesignStudio, they are always choosing the nouveau geometric sans serif as their black turtleneck and dad jeans.
Aside from that masterful insight, the typography feels un-soccer-like. It’s like it’s lacking some excitement or energy to match the lion. But it works as far as clarity.