At the 1995 Source Awards, André 3000 of OutKast famously told the audience: “The South’s got something to say.” Twenty-eight years later, Major League Soccer side Atlanta United is continuing that conversation with a new third kit that celebrates how their city has influenced the world, from hip hop and sports to civil rights and beyond.
The new third kit — dubbed “The 404 Kit” after the area code that includes phone numbers in the city of Atlanta — was unveiled on Tuesday, August 22, and will make its on-field debut on Saturday, August 26, when Atlanta United hosts Nashville SC. The kit was produced in collaboration with lifestyle brand and creative consultancy Atlanta Influences Everything and “tells the story of Atlanta and the city’s global impact.”
Atlanta influences everything because the city has such a unique energy that inspires. Atlanta has an energy you can’t find anywhere else, and it transmits enthusiasm, vitality, and fun to anyone who visits the city. Just like almost two centuries ago when the Western & Atlantic railroad gave birth to the city, today Atlanta gives life to the world by connecting it via the busiest airport on the planet.
— ATLUTD.com
The kit itself has a black base with large graffiti-style letters on the front and sleeves. “ATL” is written in bright blue while “UTD” is neon green, a both have white highlights. The crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs are solid black, as is the entire back, where white names and numbers are printed.
According to Atlanta United, the blue stands for “the expansive sense of possibility that the city represents” while the green is “a nod to the creative energy of early 90s Atlanta pushing boundaries and limits.” The black base “represents [Atlanta’s] historic past and lasting legacy.”
The Adidas shoulder stripes and side/hem striping are white. The Adidas logo, sponsor logo and Atlanta United crest on the chest are all rendered in monochromatic white. Atlanta Influences Everything’s logo appears on the back collar.
A graphic inside the back collar is “an ode to car culture, music and the youth that made up the Historically Black Colleges and Universities setting off a cultural movement in ATL city streets.”
With ‘The 404 Kit’ we are paying homage to that “Golden Era” of 90s Atlanta, where the whole city rallied behind the strength of a culture that continues to evolve. Just like Tory Edwards, co-owner of Atlanta Influences Everything said: “The stars aligned. The only way you could have gotten what happened in Atlanta in the 90s is if you wrote it in a movie.”
— ATLUTD.com
Atlanta United’s new third kit is the last of four third kits produced by Adidas for teams across MLS in the 2023 season. Other clubs unveiling third kits this year have included Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls and New York City FC.
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