Small Logo Series: Milwaukee Sports Expansion (NLL Blaze Updated)

[Wildcomet]

Hello, it's my first time in a good while doing a logo series, but I thought I had some stuff worth sharing. This little series is based on the premise of the owners of the Milwaukee Bucks deciding to expand on their sports holdings and launch expansion teams in various other leagues. I have dubbed this hypothetical enterprise the Deer Sports Empire. Currently, aside from the Bucks they own the Wisconsin Herd. I will be leaving the logos for those teams as is, partially because I really like them and partially because the idea is the owners are launching new teams with similar branding touches (colors, font, etc). I also will not be touching MLB or giving them an NFL team as there's no world where those things would happen.

 

These are the teams and leagues I plan to do so far. A couple are already done or close to finished. As suggestions (hopefully) are made and new ideas come to me I may add to this list. If anyone has a team in a league they would like to see, feel free to make suggestions. I dont have uniform templates for all the different sports so I'm just focusing on uniforms right now.

 

Posted Logos...

1. WNBA: Milwaukee Does (Vers 2) ... Click here for Vers 1 
2. USL-C: Cream City FC (Version which evolved independent of this series) ... Click the links for Vers 1 or Vers 2
3. IFL: Milwaukee Staghorns ... Evolved from a swing-and-miss at a Mustangs Arena Football revival, which can be seen by scrolling through.
4. NLL: Milwaukee Blaze (Vers 2) ... Click here for Vers 1
5. MLR: Milwaukee White Harts
6. NHL: Milwaukee Comets Rebrand.... Click the link for the prior Milwaukee Hunters concept.

 

 

[Wildcomet]

I have the first logo ready to share: The Milwaukee Does of the WNBA! While it is pretty blatantly derivative and shares intentional features to the Bucks logo, part of the idea is to extend their current branding. I tried to soften some of the angles in the deer to give it a less aggressive feel, and added some more of the blue to help differentiate it from their NBA counterparts. Enjoy!

 

[Wildcomet]

I hope to get some C&C on the Does, but in the meantime I'm going to move forward with my next team in the series and resurrect both the Arena Football League and the Milwaukee Mustangs!

 

I wanted this logo to reference the history of the Mustang name in Milwaukee as far as Arena Football is considered, while also still making it feel like part of the same larger organization that would own the Bucks, etc. I used the general design of the original Mustangs logo as the base, but changed the horse to something that isn't the same, but has some similar notes to their first revival logo. Of course I used the Bucks' color pallette and font. Simce I'm referencing old logos in the design, I posted the real-life Mustangs logos below my logo for comparison.

 

[walkerws]

46 minutes ago, in_a_rush said:

I hope to get some C&C on the Does, but in the meantime I'm going to move forward with my next team in the series and resurrect both the Arena Football League and the Milwaukee Mustangs!

 

I wanted this logo to reference the history of the Mustang name in Milwaukee as far as Arena Football is considered, while also still making it feel like part of the same larger organization that would own the Bucks, etc. I used the general design of the original Mustangs logo as the base, but changed the horse to something that isn't the same, but has some similar notes to their first revival logo. Of course I used the Bucks' color pallette and font. Simce I'm referencing old logos in the design, I posted the real-life Mustangs logos below my logo for comparison.

 

The mane is lost in the letter firm. I'd render it in a different color or put. Alone around the horses frame inside the letter. It looks like a greyhound as it's currently rendered

[appleclock]

For the Does you mention that you're going for the same look as the Bucks and Herd logos but you don't quite do them justice. I'd try to make the face match up better to those logos; for the most part you've got the head shaped correctly and the ears look more doe-like than stag, but that snout... The addition of blue helps.

 

For the Mustangs you're trying to update that first logo but yeesh that's a step back. The M is practically illegible and you've clearly only got half a horse there. If he's giddying up out of a letter like the Denver Broncos D logo, that's one thing, but you're trying to convey galloping and there just aren't enough legs. I count one. Carry the speed lines right into the body of the horse maybe instead of being separate. Or, what I would try doing is taking a full silhouette of a galloping horse like in that original logo and just finding a way to modernize the M and the speed lines--bring that logo out of the 90s.

 

 

[MilSox]

I like where you're going with this,but I think the logos and some of these names need work.

 

I kind of want to see more if these teams run with the deer theme. Like what if you went with Milwaukee Stags or Staghorns instead of Mustangs? You could brand the team around a badass helmet design like the Rams, but deer horns and in Bucks colors.

 

Brew City FC could be Cream City FC and extend the city jersey's Cream City branding.

 

Milwaukee Ferment sounds a little goofy to me. Maybe Milwaukee Whitetails (or Wisconsin Whitetails if you're into alliteration) after the specific breed of deer that is the official state wildlife animal. 

 

If you wanna do the MLL, Milwaukee Harts. That's a breed of British deer and such a team would presumably play at Hart Park Stadium. 

 

 

[Wildcomet]

Thanks for the comments guys. I appreciate the feedback, as it's obvious I'm a bit rusty at this lol.

 

Regarding names, I used the Mustangs due to the former team, and me having some affinity for it (even if the logo design wasn't great). That said, it may be unrealistic for that name to be used in this scenario. I wasn't as sure what to do with the NLL team, but it didn't seem like the type of league to use an animal name in so I tried to think of other local connections. I was also generally worried about it being too gimmicky to use deer names for every team. But I think I will lean a bit more heavily into the theme. Cream City instead of Brew City was just a miss to tie in more, not sure hoe I missed that haha.

 

I now think for the NLL, the Milwaukee Blaze. I still feel animal names don't fit the league, but it references the blaze orange hunters wear so there is still a tie to the deer theme, and can pair with a flaming antler logo or something like that, and add a splash of orange to the color scheme. I do like the Staghorns for a Milwaukee football team so I think I'll make that change too l, as well as the obvious Cream City SC

 

I can tell the Mustangs logo was a swing and miss haha. I felt like the whole horse was too busy and the M was getting lost so I tried to a more minimalist design and I only used the front of a horse a la the revival logo. I blended the horse in hoping to make the M easier to make out. This is probably a case of me seeing it easily because I know it's there given others saying it hard to make out. I'll be reworking it for the Staghorns name; I'll use a similar basic concept as a homage but with changing the animal I'll take some more liberties with the design.

 

Might be an extra day or two to post new or fixed concepts so I can make some name changes. Luckily I don't think my soccer logo will need too much effort to rework. I like the Harts name with the explanation. Rather than a second lacrosse team though, I might use it as a Major League Rugby team. I'd imagine they could still play at the same field.

[Wildcomet]

Alright, after some revamping I am ready to share some concepts out again. Please welcome Major League Soccer's new franchise, Cream City SC!

 

I went with a roundel design with the major ring as well as the center being that cream color to really highlight it in the same way the Bucks' Cream City jerseys do. The central design represents the end of a barrel used for aging/storing beer, wine, etc. The soccer ball sits where the spout would normally go. While not as subtle as in the Bucks logo in this case, I do want to extend the tradition of representing the ball a sport is played with in the logo.The green ring just outside of the barrel graphic is designed to represent the metal seal around the end of a barrel. I wanted something that would represent the Bucks' branding well, fit with Milwaukee's heritage, and would also fit in with the aesthetic of other Major League Soccer teams. I hope everyone enjoys it! I'll hopefully be posting either the IFL's Milwaukee Staghorns or the NLL's Milwaukee Blaze tomorrow.

 

[TakingOnWater13]

Cream city SC is really good, I like that look.

 

Here's a question. Where's my NHL team? 

[MJWalker45]

11 hours ago, in_a_rush said:

Alright, after some revamping I am ready to share some concepts out again. Please welcome Major League Soccer's new franchise, Cream City SC!

 

I went with a roundel design with the major ring as well as the center being that cream color to really highlight it in the same way the Bucks' Cream City jerseys do. The central design represents the end of a barrel used for aging/storing beer, wine, etc. The soccer ball sits where the spout would normally go. While not as subtle as in the Bucks logo in this case, I do want to extend the tradition of representing the ball a sport is played with in the logo.The green ring just outside of the barrel graphic is designed to represent the metal seal around the end of a barrel. I wanted something that would represent the Bucks' branding well, fit with Milwaukee's heritage, and would also fit in with the aesthetic of other Major League Soccer teams. I hope everyone enjoys it! I'll hopefully be posting either the IFL's Milwaukee Staghorns or the NLL's Milwaukee Blaze tomorrow.

 

There needs to be something in the middle of this , probably a monogram. 

[Wildcomet]

2 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

There needs to be something in the middle of this , probably a monogram. 

 

That was a good idea, thanks! I added the Bucks' M logo without any outlining into the barrel to help tie it in a little more with the organization's other teams and fill the space.

 

[Bruhammydude]

Could you make a concept for NHL as well? I'm liking these so far, would like to see more than just different versions of the Bucks however I realized the whole point was to be spinoffs of the Bucks, but maybe if you have time after we could see them each with their own identity.

[Wildcomet]

5 minutes ago, Bruhammydude said:

Could you make a concept for NHL as well? I'm liking these so far, would like to see more than just different versions of the Bucks however I realized the whole point was to be spinoffs of the Bucks, but maybe if you have time after we could see them each with their own identity.

 

I've had a couple people mention doing an NHL team, and that would be considered an upgrade over the Admirals (though I am a fan of theirs) so I may well do that as well if I can come up with a good identity for them. That is sort of the point that these would all be spinoffs of the Bucks, so Cream City will be about as far from their look as I deviate, though what I have in mind for the Blaze will definitely stand out from the others in some respects. If I have time that is a possibility. I would probably change some of the names as well if I'm not tying into the Bucks but something like that could be done. I had the thought of doing this with the Brewers also which could be fun spin on the idea.

[Wildcomet]

And we're back! Either later today or tomorrow I'll post the next new logo, but first I thought I would share out a touch-up on the WNBA'a Milwaukee Does. The touch up didn't change a lot, but there was a comment on the snout needing some help and I think I made some improvements to that. I shortened the length of the snout, and to make it work I also rotated and lowered the eyes. I feel like it's looking a bit more natural now. Hope you all enjoy! Next up I believe will be moving over to indoor football to unveil the Staghorns.

 

[Wildcomet]

Had a chance to get on tonight and keep this moving, so here is the IFL's Milwaukee Staghorns!

 

My big change to this logo from the parent company was to make the deer bigger and bulkier; this represents both how a Staghorn would compare to most Whitetails, and how most football players would compare to basketball players. Primarily I made the antlers and the deer's body thicker. To carry a Bucks theme of integrating the sport into the logo, I put markings on the snout representing the laces of a football, and shaped the interior antlers to be more elongated like a football would be. I again incorporated a couple splashes of the blue color they use to help it stand out, and add depth to the logo. To give it a wordmark reflecting some of the same differences I added a very slight bevel to the typical Bucks font.

 

 

Next up will be the National Lacrosse League's Milwaukee Blaze!

[Wildcomet]

I hope people enjoyed the Staghorns logo, I'll still be happy to receive C&C on it or the touched up Does logo but I'm going to move forward. Today we have the Bucks' entry into the National Lacrosse League- the Milwaukee Blaze!

 

I felt that the NLL deserved a less traditional team name which would fit with current teams like Rush, Rock, Swarm, etc. The inspiration for the name was the blaze orange clothing hunters in Wisconsin are required to wear during deer hunting. I enjoyed getting to modify the color pallette and move a bit out of the shadow of the main teams while still carrying over some common themes to fit the overall brand. The main thought driving this logo was "what if a deer became Ghost Rider?", which felt like it worked given that Milwaukee is also the home to Harley Davidson, which Ghost Rider is popularly known to ride motorcycles. The main Ghost Rider character was also known as Johnny Blaze which connects to my team name. While still being a deer head-based logo, we now see the skull rather than the face. To carry on the theme of integrating parts of the sport into the logo, I fashioned cracks in the front-center skull to form a shape reminiscent of a lacrosse stick. The workmark is the traditional Bucks font in bold-italics with a relatively thick outline. This was arguably my favorite so far to make, so I hope you all like it!

 

[Wildcomet]

I hope the last one was enjoyed, but I'll keep pushing forward. Here is my design for the Bucks organization's foray into Rugby, the Milwaukee White Harts!

 

I went with White Harts rather than just Harts in part to emphasize a specific deer which holds a role in English mythology (rugby being popular in England), and also enables more variety in the logo design without straying so far to be unrecognizable as part of the brand. As you can see I inverted the green & white parts of the deer (except for the antlers, they just looked weird in all white), while beefing up the antlers in relation to the rest of the body which seemed more fitting for this type of deer based on photos I found. Again I altered the antlers to create a rugby ball shape inside of them to carry on that theme. I changed the part of the body that typically looks like an M to be a W for White Harts. Hope whoever looks at this likes it, but C & C is always appreciated! Next up is the NHL's Hunters.

 

[Midwest_surfer]

You know, I’ve been trying to come up with a good NHL team name for Milwaukee and I thought Hunters/Huntsmen was great until my buddy pointed out having the Hunters and Bucks in the same arena would be weird considering one kills the other. I’m excited to see what your Hunters concept looks like, because it may work.

[Wildcomet]

Well I hope people have liked the past few logos I posted. Here it is, the last one in the series... the NHL's Milwaukee Hunters!

 

Truthfully I might workshop this a bit more, but I'm hoping for some C&C to get some outside ideas. I don't think it's bad, but it doesn't feel quite like it's where I want it to be yet either. I wanted to use the orange from the Blaze along with the blue to give a color scheme that would stand out from the other franchises without seeming like an independent entity. The hunter's hat and rifle were replaced with a hockey stick and helmet, and the stick is resting in the antlers like a hunter might rest a rifle on a tree branch to keep it steady. The Buck antlers are meant to frame the whole thing in, and the inner antlers are wrapping around a puck with the M logo on it. My goal was to keep the Hunter in the logo in more traditional hunting colors while blue represents the hockey-specific aspects of the logo.  Unless someone has a sport they would like to see aside from what I've already done this will wrap up the new logos, but if I get feedback to help I may keep workshopping some of them. While I'm very much liking some of he logos, I know things can always be improved. Otherwise I'll move on to the next planned logo series. Thanks and enjoy!

 

[sportsfan7]

If I'm being honest, I think that it is a good design, but it seems like it may probably translate poorly to a uniform. I would recommend simplifying it a bit and maybe dropping one of the colors. I would recommend blue since you wanted to keep the blaze orange and green and tan are the "company" colors. It seems good up close, but it may get messy when viewing it from a distance or in game on a hockey player.