The 3.0 version of the XFL has run into a big issue.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s XFL revival, scheduled to begin in 2023, went viral this week after they introduced a new visual brand logo.
Megan Rapinoe took notice of the logo and thought it looked eerily similar to her wife Sue Bird’s company Togethxr.
“Welp. This is awkward,” Rapinoe tweeted, with a screengrab of the XFL’s branding announcement from LinkedIn. “Only thing @TheRock and @XFL2023 are gonna be cookin up is a response to the Cease and Desist and an ENTIRE new brand ID. @togethxr got this on lock boys.”
Sue Bird and Alex Morgan also had something to say:
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I guess?” Morgan wrote on Twitter. “Shout out to my team at @togethxr for creating a bad ass brand name, logo, and background story that resonates for so many.”
The official Togethxr account tweeted that they had issued legal action, backing up Rapinoe’s statement, as the XFL’s new “brand identity” not only mimics the logo of Togethxr, but also prominently features the word “together.”
TogethXR is a lifestyle and culture brand co-founded by Bird, Rapinoe’s American teammate Alex Morgan and Olympic gold medallists Simone Manuel and Chloe Kim.
The XFL was first set up in 2001 but lasted just one season before McMahon revived the league in 2020. Covid-19 forced the season to be suspended and ultimately folded. The XFL would eventually be up for auction, so The Rock and his ex-wife swooped in to purchase it.
“With my trail blazing partner @DanyGarciaCo & RedBird Capital, we have acquired the XFL,” Johnson wrote on Twitter at the time.
“With gratitude & passion I’ve built a career with my own two hands and will apply these callouses to our @xfl2020 brand.
“Excited to create something special for the fans!”
