The Toronto Blue Jays new slogan just leaked, and let’s just say it’s a good ‘to the core’ concept.
For the past two seasons, fans of the Toronto Blue Jays had become synonymous with a simple two worded phrase that had been used as the basis of branding the team for this new era of supposed dominance, “Next Level.”
Coming off of the heels of the impressive 2021 season where they just fell short of the playoffs, it felt like a fitting catchphrase as the team looked to build on that season and have one for the ages. Of course that didn’t happen, with them getting swept by Seattle in the Wild Card.
Not like this means anything but the Houston Astros with a similar slogan, “Level Up”, went on to win the World Series that year. Guess there could only be one “Level” slogan that could win it all as decided from the baseball heavens above.
Instead of going with a new one, they decided to run it back the next season, despite the heartbreaking way they went out the season prior. Unfortunately, it would be anything but next level, depending on the perspective you ponder from.
If you are talking about the rebirth of the pitching rotation or defensive capabilities then it was another level. If you are talking about nearly every hitter in the lineup regressing and finishing with 3 less wins than the year before, all to finish with the exact same result of a Wild Card sweep, then it was game over.
Many fans had grown tired of this slogan after the two years, mainly stemming from most of the baseball they’ve been watching not really being Next Level at all. Well luckily for fans who wished for it, they may have just got it.
After leaks of media day photo and video shoots of Blue Jays players began to surface from Dunedin, something in the backdrop of a few photos caught the eye of some fans, the branding.
The new slogan for the Toronto Blue Jays this season might be “TO The Core.” It was once believed to be “Rep your City”, however it’s more likely now that it was either a placeholder or the slogan for the Blue Jay’s upcoming City Connect jerseys.
The new slogan seems to prioritize Toronto first rather than a more nationwide slogan such as the Raptors iconic “We The North.” Its usage of “TO” in the phrase represents an abbreviated version of Toronto, Ontario, which Torontonians often use in reference to the city, and it fits perfectly.
It isn’t a slogan that promises greater, or gives expectations like the last. It’s meant to capture the spirit of the city that they play for, which is a trait a sports team slogan should always possess to maintain a connection to their fanbase.
No matter if the season is a smashing success or a catastrophic failure, the Blue Jays will look to be committed to playing the best baseball they can for the fans in the city at the newly renovated Rogers Centre, and that seems to be what this slogan ultimately represents, and that’s what supporting your team is all about.
From the culture to the diversity, to the style and swagger that this city showcases abundantly. The Blue Jays will look to bring those focus points into play for the coming year, embodying and promoting the double blue and red as much as possible over the season, offering an experience that to its core, is uniquely Toronto. Let’s hope that their city connects can do the same.