Following Bayern München’s recent announcement of a logo color update to comply with Germany’s Accessibility Improvement Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz), Footy Headlines' research suggests that the change might not have been necessary after all.
Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no contrast requirement
Bayern München Logo Update Was Not Required Under Accessibility Act
First and foremost, the Accessibility Improvement Act does not impose contrast requirements on logotypes or logos. This means that there is no obligation for Bayern or any other company to adjust the color contrast of their logos for accessibility purposes.
Previous Colors Offered Better Contrast
Interestingly, the original colors of Bayern’s logo—deeper shades of red and blue—actually offered a better contrast than the new, lighter hues. According to the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Color Contrast, which measures readability and visibility for users with visual impairments, the new colors are less accessible than the previous palette.
The brighter colors are less accessible than the previous ones - they now exactly match the minimum contrast for texts on a background
Interestingly, the new colors almost exactly meet the minimum criteria of 4.5 - the red has a contrast ratio of 4.51, and the blue of 4.52.
Did Bayern misunderstand the minimum requirement and thought it would be the required one?
The question arises as to whether Bayern misunderstood the minimum requirement. Everything indicates so.
Bayern München 24-25 Home Kit Heavily Fails Accessibility Act Guidelines
Meanwhile, Bayern München is no prime example of accessibility when it comes to its kits. The Bayern 24-25 home kit names and numbers clearly fail the usual contrast guidelines - the very dark red is hardly readable on the red from the stands.
No Mandate for Clubs or Companies to Update Logo
Logotypes are not affected by the lawAs far as we know, no rules in the Accessibility Improvement Act require companies or sports clubs like Bayern to change their logos. If such rules did exist, many other companies and organizations would also need to adjust their branding, which is not the case.
A misunderstanding of the club?
All in all, the logo update appears to be more of a misunderstanding than a legal necessity.
What do you think of Bayern's logo color update? Did Bayern get it wrong? Let us know in the comments below.