Notre Dame Football: On the 2023 Branding Tagline

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took to social media Thursday to release the athletic program’s branding tagline for the new season. This year, the team will rally under the call “All Fight.” While I’ve said before that “God, Country, Notre Dame” packs more of a punch than any hashtag on Twitter, I can’t help but find myself fascinated with all things related to the Irish brand, pageantry and aesthetic. It’s time to pick apart this year’s branding tagline.

Style Points

The script “Fight” here is very much reminiscent of the gold basketball jerseys of the Pat Connaughton era. It contrasts nicely with the tall, narrow rounded text of “All” and adds up to a memorable look. I give the visual design my seal of approval. The program has played into its distinct “Fight” in the past, notably with the “What Would You Fight For?” series. However, The tagline does remind me a little bit of the USC Trojans’ Fight On! fight song. While I love the meaning behind any emphasis on the fight in the Irish, it would have been great to see more of an homage to the team’s Irish heritage to make the tagline a bit more unique to the team.

Throw it Back

I was hoping to see the Irish play this season under a tagline more in line with the punchy and unapologetic “Rally” of the 2020 season. The blunt and aggressive block letters and the sheer minimalism of it all made for the ideal Irish entrance into a season unlike any other. Plus, the promo video for this one made me feel like a Celtic warrior setting off to defend my homeland. The video for this year’s tagline provides a definite hype-up, but just doesn’t compel me to run through a brick wall this time around.

Fighting Through a New Season

A wise soul once told me that being Irish means that you always fight for that in which you believe, and I couldn’t agree more. The tagline offers much of the same simplicity that has made the classic blue jersey and gold pants stand the test of time and highlights the team’s fighting spirit. Marketing nerdiness aside, this one will hype up any Irish fan for a new season.

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