

When Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced last month that Atlanta had scored its very own MLS franchise, he was adamant the public would decide the team name. Let's hope Mr. Blank is listening now, and that he keeps an open mind. Voters in an Atlanta Business Chronicle poll overwhelmingly chose the safe, politically correct, "Atlanta Phoenix" over more snooze-worthy options like "Atlanta Blaze" and "Premier Atlanta." But why not shake things up a bit? Why not show the MLS world what the ATL is all about, even if it isn't pretty? That's the thinking at iris worldwide, a marketing and advertising agency that came up with a few nifty, tounge-in-cheek team names and the logos to match.

With an office of 25 in Atlanta, iris services big-name companies such as Turner, The Weather Channel and Sony Mobile, so their ideas are nothing to sneeze at. Simon Candy, creative director at iris, tells Curbed, "After hearing that it would be up to the public to decide (the franchise name), and the debate became more heated over what Atlanta is 'famous for,' our team of soccer fans at iris decided to have some fun with our own suggestions." Fun indeed.

A few of our suggestions might be more difficult to illustrate: the "Atlanta Antiquated Politics," the "Atlanta NIMBYs," the "ATL Abundant Surface-Lot Parking," or, of course, the "Excessively Tattooed Baristas of Atlanta."

Any better ideas for Mr. Blank?

· Season-ticket pledges sharp for Atlanta's MLS team [AJC]

· Readers favor 'Atlanta Phoenix' for MLS team [ABC]

[Images courtesy iris worldwide.]