Winnipeg Pilots Logo Concept

[CS85]

I'm giving you a standing ovation! I love this concept! The secondary logo blew me away especially, very original, well researched, the shield shape and tremendous feel to it could be applied to any sport. Very, very well done.

[Jigga]

Damn, SyPhi...amazing work. Wow!

IMHO, that Secondary logo should be the Primary! Either way, that's some beautiful work you've done there!

[VitaminD]

Wow. Wow wow wow. Unbelievable.

I like the secondary better than the first.

I don't want the freedom of this logo hemmed in either, but how would you apply this to a background that wasn't white? Unless you busted out the old Blue Jays trick of making the front panels white on a cap, you couldn't really use either logo on a game cap. There are elements on both logos that extend beyond the imagined boundaries of the shield based on the elements you have. I love this look, but I wonder if you've thought of how to apply these to dark backgrounds.

[KCScout76]

SyPhi - IMO, I like the logo with the Man better than the one with the plane. With the planes in the background and the Pilot in the foreground, it's just a better logo.

Nice work

[Lumbergh]

love it!

[andrewharrington]

Awesome work with the secondary. This, along with the primary, is a wonderful portfolio piece Sy. In the secondary, though, maybe try to explore some defining shapes in the pilots clothing, because riht now is a pretty undefined field of navy blue. Awesome, great, timeless, old-fashioned rendereing of the pilots face. Great job. I love how this set excels without the use of outlines; something not often seen today.

[zer0dotcom]

- The logo was not designed with a specific sport in mind. That said, my UL (baseball) team would need a logo if the league approves a move of the franchise. I agree it could work on a baseball uniform, but that'd mean I'd have to come up with a hat logo.

It's an excellent concept Sy, I like your style of solid colours and simple shapes. I think it would work alittle better with a solid blue backing, remove the clouds and uncomplicate it abit.

As for the UL, the team is yours now. You can do with it what you want. If oyu named them the Pilots, it would be really ironic, since Lamicus had a team int he league in 2003, in Winnipeg....named the Pilots. I was never able to find a logo for that team though, and I don't see a problem with you using the name if thats what you want to use. it's your team now! enjoy the power!

This would be an awesome logo package thought. i would love to see how it would look changed into a uniform set

[Phil]

Pilots Unveil an Electric Identity

On the eve of the new season, our boys are showing their true colours

Was it only 12 months ago when the Winnipeg Pilots made their return to our fair city? At that time, ownership was just settling into their new facilities and adjusting to the new environment as the season was getting underway.

"It was a roller coaster ride, that's for sure," recounts president and general manager Philip Wiebe. "There we were, thirty minutes away from the first pitch in the new park, and nobody had any ideas on which box all the balls were in!"

Much has been written about how that season transpired, with the Pilots making the Cinderalla-like jump from worst to first, capturing the United Cup in a stirring playoff run, and narrowly falling short in the World Series to the Pharaohs, but some stories about the big move from Pittsburgh are still coming out.

One of those stories has come full circle. "When we received approval to move [the Spiders] from Pittsburgh, we were caught a little off guard," says Wiebe, adding that the team had always intended on becoming the Pilots, "but we didn't exactly have our act together on the identity end of things. It's a miracle things turned out as well as they did."

What 'turned out' was a generic double-blue, red, gray, and white colour scheme and jerseys to match. "We like to think we got the road jerseys at a discount because of their simplicity," mused Wiebe, but the fact of the matter remains that the team looked good on the field because of their play, not because of their threads.

All of that changed Saturday at a 3:30pm press conference. The Pilots, having contracted Kinetic Identity Design to complete revitalize their brand, unveiled a new logo, new colours, and made big promises on the upcoming uniform designs.

In a rousing speech in front of a large gathering of fans and reporters, Wiebe was at his charismatic best "As champs, we have earned the right to look distinctive, and this year, we won't just out-hit and out-pitch our opponents, we'll also out-dress them!"

He proceeded to pull back the curtain, revealing the new Pilots design. Gasps filled the room, followed by thunderous applause that transformed into a five-minute standing ovation.

Old Logo:

New Logo:

Once the cheering had subsided enough, Wiebe took to the podium alongside Kinetic Identity Design president and lead designer Philip Wiebe (no relation) to explain the new design and the thought process behind it. The following is a brief summary of their statements:

• The logo borrows heavily from the previous edition, depicting a WWII-era Spitfire fighter plane soaring among the clouds.
  
• The logo bears none of the red of the old logo, replacing it with a pair of 'electric greens'. "We're proud to be from one of the leading Canadian province when it comes to exporting renewable, green electrical power," said Wiebe, "and I think that comes across boldly." He added that the blues were also subtly adjusted, but provided no reasoning for their modification.
  
• The previous use of a strong, basic serifed text has been replaced by a bold script-based treatment of the "Pilots" text.
  
• The shield-like shape of the old logo has been refined to more closely resemble a baseball diamond's home plate. When asked about it, Wiebe responded "we've got our eyes on the prize. We like what we're seeing with this new logo, but intrinsic in it is the reminder that the games are won and lost on the field, and that's where our priorities lie."
  

The Pilots will unveil their jerseys starting with tomorrow's season-opening matchup against the St. Louis Perfectos. The jerseys will be available for purchase at that time at the Hangar Store located in the ballpark. Tickets for the season opener are all gone, but select individual tickets still remain for some mid-season games. Call 555-BASE to order or to find out more.

[KCScout76]

I like the updated version - the tigershark mouth is a nice touch-

I have not seen any spitfire planes with the shark mouth, noting that the P-40 Warhawks who flew in China & the African Desert often had them, also the P-39 Aircobra, which the Russians used were the most famous.

Back to your logo - AWESOME UPDATE!!! The two color "winnipeg" text is cleanier looking as well as the detail on the canopy.

I've always liked your work PHIL

[JQK]

I gotta say i'm not a big fan of the new look.

THe old look was simple and clean. This adds unneeded elements, IMO

[jr79]

I really like that new Pilots script, especially the P.

[33hooligan]

The new logo without a doubt screams war machine as appossed to the first one, which for all I know is a cessna. The only thing I would question is the choice of the green in the wordmark. Have you looked at what those colors would look like on a baseball uniform? They just seem to be alittle bright.

Awsome job Phil.

[leggman01]

really, really nice work - the tweak to give the shield the shape of home plate was pure genious and the script font also gives it a real baseball feel - i think the green might look good on the uniforms, but i think you'll need to use it sparingly...the logo is just an absolute thing of beauty!

[winters in buffalo]

The new script is great, but I think the top half of the old logo was much better.

[Lumbergh]

I'm really not too hot for the new to be honest. The old one conveyed a strong message by staying simple and clean. The updated version really cluters and the two-tone wordmark looks too junior league. Also, I know you were trying to use the plate to show it's a baseball logo, but the old shield's round roof gave the plane a more fluid look, sorta like the sky was everywhere around it. The plate cuts it off to a straight side, and takes away that quality. I still say you try and update the first one to look more like it, but with some shading and such, because it works a lot better than the new one imo.

[drevel]

I think the plane against the home plate looks really cool. I still like the original secondary logo (pilots face). Will you be incorpoarting that as well?

[sideshowbob]

great logo to start and amazing update, I love it

[Steve-O]

Phil,

Do not listen to these silly sally(s?). The old is NO WHERE near the update! This is some of the best work you've done to be honest. It feels more complete than anything I've seen you make. This is awesome awesome work. I'd like to see and outline around the whole thing to really finish it off. Bravo Phil. You should be proud. You are leaps and bounds ahead of where you were in 05. I'd love to see you put out more these days (thats what she said).

Great work!

[KCScout76]

From the reading the Pilots are a baseball team??

Anyone notice the "homeplate" background with the blue sky & gray forming the pentagon. Way cool!!!

(seems like the simple things get KCScout all worked up - WOW, he's a lunitic)