AP Article on Brandiose

[dfwabel]

Quote

In Episode Three, the Brandiose Studios team discuss how they come up with the look and design for each new Minor League Baseball logo that comes their way.

 

 

[Sec19Row53]

On 4/24/2019 at 2:29 PM, Maroon said:

But when it comes to the Syracuse Mets, Iowa Cubs, and (my go to) the Springfield Cardinals, those brands mean something to the local fans. And I don't just means that those local fans are fans of the parent club and therefore like the brand already. I mean that people show up to watch the players that are the future of the team they already love. I'm sure every MiLB team markets "the stars of tomorrow" schtick, but why care about the stars of somebody else's team's tomorrow? So for those teams, the closer they can identify with the major league team's brand the better. THAT is how they stand out. People love the Springfield Cardinals BECAUSE they're the Springfield Cardinals, not just because they're a local AA team that has $1 brat nights (although, admittedly, I love $1 brat nights).

But the Springfield Cardinals aren't a great example in that they are smack dab in the middle of Cardinals territory. It's one of the reasons that the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers draw better these days -- they're associated with the major league team that fans in that area cheer for already.  If the Beloit Snappers had the same park as the Rattlers do, they still wouldn't draw as well because they are somebody else's team (not the Brewers).

[B-Rich]

43 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

 

 

 What BS and lies.

" We have to physically GO, we have to talk to experts, we have to be guided by people that really know what they're talking about"   (yeah, according to them, a two-day overnight trip to New Orleans)

 

"We hear what the community has said about what kind of names that they want" (Approximate 90% disapproval rating when Baby Cakes came out as per local online polls)

"It's gotta be authentic... it can't be something that we think, you know, 'oh that would be really cool for that community'... it has to speak to that community" (Despite the fact that by their own statements, "Baby Cakes" was derived by them; it makes no sense to locals.)

 

 

 

[Maroon]

6 hours ago, Sec19Row53 said:

But the Springfield Cardinals aren't a great example in that they are smack dab in the middle of Cardinals territory. It's one of the reasons that the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers draw better these days -- they're associated with the major league team that fans in that area cheer for already.  If the Beloit Snappers had the same park as the Rattlers do, they still wouldn't draw as well because they are somebody else's team (not the Brewers).

 

That was the exact point of my post: some teams are better off associating with their parent club in terms of branding because they exist in a market where their parent club is popular. Same with the Syracuse Mets and the Iowa Cubs. I was intentionally using those teams as examples of why that makes sense sometimes, whereas for other teams that don't exist in their parent club's market would need to focus on a different marketing strategy to attract fans.

[Sec19Row53]

6 hours ago, Maroon said:

 

That was the exact point of my post: some teams are better off associating with their parent club in terms of branding because they exist in a market where their parent club is popular. Same with the Syracuse Mets and the Iowa Cubs. I was intentionally using those teams as examples of why that makes sense sometimes, whereas for other teams that don't exist in their parent club's market would need to focus on a different marketing strategy to attract fans.

My bad. I totally read that wrong. We are saying the same thing.

[The_Admiral]

One-third of all heated discussions on this board are misunderstandings between people who actually agreed with each other all along.

[BrandMooreArt]

On 4/29/2019 at 11:25 AM, B-Rich said:

 What BS and lies.

" We have to physically GO, we have to talk to experts, we have to be guided by people that really know what they're talking about"   (yeah, according to them, a two-day overnight trip to New Orleans)

 

"We hear what the community has said about what kind of names that they want" (Approximate 90% disapproval rating when Baby Cakes came out as per local online polls)

"It's gotta be authentic... it can't be something that we think, you know, 'oh that would be really cool for that community'... it has to speak to that community" (Despite the fact that by their own statements, "Baby Cakes" was derived by them; it makes no sense to locals.)

 

 

 

 

1. im not following how a 2-day trip doesn't relate to what they're talking about. its a pretty standard routine to go to the place, or talk face to face with clients, you're designing for. when budgets allow. have you ever gone to a restaurant or a city and had it either exceed or not meet expectations? perspectives change when you actually experience something in person and much of what design is, is having an opinion/perspective. plus they find things (they mention posters here) they use as inspiration along the way

 

2. do focus groups and polls after the fact ever align? i think they're eluding to the general weirdness of the names, "the kind of names people want" not a specific team that didnt work out. and is that the only one that didnt work out? isnt most of their branding really successful? i think they have a really good success rate

 

3. im not familiar enough with that particular team/brand to really have an opinion on what the "story" is they're trying to tell there. but most of these names are meant to appear as one thing, but are really about something else. the Jumbo Shrimp isn't just about a shrimp or a strange name— its that Jacksonville is a "little big city". that sort of thing

 

4. i can't believe you made me defend Brandiose

[Brian in Boston]

"From a technical standpoint, it's - you have to merge a lot of different elements, often, into a logo. You know, like a... a trashcan lid, and a calculator, and a raccoon, and a tail..."

No... no a graphic designer doesn't have to do that. Brandiose, as a firm, has chosen to do that. It has elected to adopt the "merge a lot of different elements... into a logo" approach  - the "everything but the kitchen sink" aesthetic, if you will - for designing minor league sports logos. That is certainly their prerogative.

Now, in my personal opinion, Brandiose's most successful work over the years has resulted when it appears that they've exercised the most restraint with regard to how many thematic elements they've allowed to make their way into a single logo and/or identity. That being said, their trend over the years seems to have moved in the direction of cramming as many different thematic elements - no matter how disparate they might be - into a mark. Frankly, that practice often reads to me as an inability or unwillingness to let any idea go... a belief that every notion that has crossed their minds is so brilliant... so precious... that it just has to make it into the finished product.

      

[B-Rich]

41 minutes ago, Brian in Boston said:

"From a technical standpoint, it's - you have to merge a lot of different elements, often, into a logo. You know, like a... a trashcan lid, and a calculator, and a raccoon, and a tail..."

No... no a graphic designer doesn't have to do that. Brandiose, as a firm, has chosen to do that. It has elected to adopt the "merge a lot of different elements... into a logo" approach  - the "everything but the kitchen sink" aesthetic, if you will - for designing minor league sports logos. That is certainly their prerogative.

.....That being said, their trend over the years seems to have moved in the direction of cramming as many different thematic elements - no matter how disparate they might be - into a mark. Frankly, that practice often reads to me as an inability or unwillingness to let any idea go... a belief that every notion that has crossed their minds is so brilliant... so precious... that it just has to make it into the finished product.

 

Great point.

 

I will use as another example the Baby Cakes:

 

In the logo package, there is almost EVERY visual aspect you could think of relating to New Orleans Mardi Gras:

1. a (king cake) baby.

2. A king cake. 

3. Beads. 

4. A crown. 

5. Even a step ladder with a bench seat on top (where you put little kids to watch parades).

6. Not to mention it's in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. 

7. And the font (which in and of itself is great) is evocative if not representative of the iron work found in the French Quarter and other areas of the city. 

 

About the only thing missing is a parade float, a mask or a flambeaux. 

 

Then, of course, you have to add the ubiquitous Brandiose (swinging) bat, and then the coat of arms saluting the only two former team names, Pelicans and Zephyrs.   

 

It's too much. 

[MJWalker45]

On 4/23/2019 at 3:47 PM, Atomic said:

The branding portion isn't what I was referring to. If anything, I give them credit for the current branding methodology which I see from top to bottom across an organization. To me, that will never go out of style. 

 

I was specifically gauging your insight as to when you felt the gimmicked names would fall out of style. Jacksonville is a good example of this: I get the whole Jumbo Shrimp connection, but at the same time, the Suns brand had grown with the community for 30+ years. I could understand if it was a relocated or brand new ball club, but some of these names have roots already set in the community and an update/refresh would have done the same impact as a swinging (insert mascot here). 

You'd also be surprised how many people in San Antonio know the Flying Chanclas better than the Missions. I've actually had to tell people the Chanclas and Missions are the same team . . . at the ballpark! 

[slapshot]

On 5/3/2019 at 9:55 AM, Brian in Boston said:

the "everything but the kitchen sink" aesthetic,

 

Stay tuned for the Faucet City Kitchen Sinks, coming soon to a ballpark near you.

[IceCap]

On 5/3/2019 at 1:44 AM, BrandMooreArt said:

i can't believe you made me defend Brandiose

No one made you

 

[tBBP]

25 minutes ago, slapshot said:

 

Stay tuned for the Faucet City Kitchen Sinks, coming soon to a ballpark near you.

 

I laughed way too hard at this.