Casper Rockies now the Casper Ghosts

[HeyDingis]

1. I like the word mark a lot, but the mark looks pretty silly. Halftones should stay out of sports.

2. The fact that it was announced on Halloween isn't really irony.

[Gothamite]

More info on the Plan B Branding site, including a Flash demonstration of the glow-in-the-dark caps, unused concepts, research, and what might be the final jersey....

[CubsFanBudMan]

In regards to the original thread title, I think it's less "ironic" and more "deliberate PR move," especially considering it seems rushed out there with no merchandise available yet (I get nothing but a generic MiLB store when I click on the drawings of the caps).

That said, reminds me a bit of my reaction to the Las Vegas 51s... interesting idea, not completely sold on the execution incorporating the baseball seams, but all in all, not bad in my book.

And glow in the dark? I'm looking forward to seeing that in action.

[Gothamite]

I don't think I'll be picking up a cap, but you never know.

I'd seriously consider a jersey if they ever sell them (still waiting for the Burlington Bees to make theirs available), provided that it's not a faux vest.

[BallWonk]

"I think I can say with confidence that we'll be the first Minor League team that is looking forward to hearing lots of boos," remarked club CEO Kevin Haughian. "I originally wanted to be the Casper Weinbergers, but we figured no one would get it."

Okay, I like this guy.

My thoughts too. Though the Casper Weinbergers might be a bit of a tough sell, why not the Casper Caps? Then it would really be an inside joke. (For those not old enough to remember, he was often referred to as Casper "Cap" Weinberg.)

Just makes me think of the glorious but aborted New Hampshire Primaries, who had one of the best names, logo sets, and uniforms in minor league history, but at the last minute the team switched to naming itself after a wet rat.

But the larger point about ditching the Rockies name hours after the Rockies wrapped up their first World Series appearance seems dead on. Why not milk the name association? Or at least stick with a Rockies-like local mountain reference, such as the Tetons or Bighorns or whatever.

[rynoz10]

I agree with most others about the wordmark, but you can NOT be the Casper Ghosts AND already have a working agreement with the company that owns the rights to Casper the Friendly Ghost without including his likeness in your Primary Logo. It just doesn't work. The logo is not very good and I would have expected more from Plan B, especially after looking at their concepts. I think if you have to go with something that is away from the original Casper the Ghost look, then you go with Ghost Riders . . . I think with what they have it would have worked better with that name.

[hrivnak]

I dig it. Very unique and original. Kudos to them for trying something new.

[BIGBAD]

shouldnt they be the

the "casper friendly ghosts"

[BallWonk]

The logo is not very good and I would have expected more from Plan B, especially after looking at their concepts.

I agree -- that ghost steer logo is not only a better logo, but also a better implementation of the glow-in-the-dark effect. But what that concepts shows you is that you don't actually have a problem with Plan B here, you have a problem with the choices the client made. No matter how good a design studio is, the final product will only be as good as the client's worst decision.

I'm with Gothamite, though. If the regular home cap with the glow-in-the-dark G was available in new-model 5950 form, I'd think about getting one, and I love the jersey script. That is how you do the Western look.

[lich0037]

I agree with BallWonk - Plan B created a lot of really nice concpets. It's always nice to see a studio do their homework and show it. It just came down to the client choosing what the wanted.

I really think the steer/cow logo is far better than the haftone ghost. The wordmark is also very nice.

The glow-in-the-dark hats seemed kind of cheesy at first, but they are slowly growing on me.

[roxfan00]

[Blackjack76]

I'm sure New Era is just thrilled to embroider halftone dots on their caps.

[powersurge]

I believe the setting for the Casper cartoons were in Washington,D.C, but for the Casper Rockies," I have one thing to say about it. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Were you saying "Boo"?

or "Boo-urns"?

[Brian in Boston]

The logo is not very good and I would have expected more from Plan B, especially after looking at their concepts.

I agree -- that ghost steer logo is not only a better logo, but also a better implementation of the glow-in-the-dark effect. But what that concepts shows you is that you don't actually have a problem with Plan B here, you have a problem with the choices the client made. No matter how good a design studio is, the final product will only be as good as the client's worst decision.

Bingo! My thoughts exactly. Any number of images from the Casper Ghosts concept sheet would have been superior to the design the team actually settled on.

I've actually felt this way about a number of Plan B.'s efforts after seeing examples of the company's overall concept sheets. Bottom line? There's no accounting for client taste.

I am a fan of the Casper Ghosts name.

[Gothamite]

Just makes me think of the glorious but aborted New Hampshire Primaries, who had one of the best names, logo sets, and uniforms in minor league history, but at the last minute the team switched to naming itself after a wet rat.

But the larger point about ditching the Rockies name hours after the Rockies wrapped up their first World Series appearance seems dead on. Why not milk the name association? Or at least stick with a Rockies-like local mountain reference, such as the Tetons or Bighorns or whatever.

Amen to the Primaries. Bad call to drop it.

The timing of the announcement may be unfortunate, but this rebrand was in the works long before anybody even thought the Rockies could make the playoffs, much less the Series.

[powersurge]

I agree that their Scott Boras like timing was questionable, but the new name is clever, fun and typical of a minor league baseaball team. I personally have no trouble with the name, the logo is a nightmare though. No pun intended. Good luck to anyone trying to reproduce it on various media.

[ltravisjr]

2. The fact that it was announced on Halloween isn't really irony.

Spot on. Irony is commonly misunderstood to mean "coincidental", when it really means the use of a word to express something opposite its literal meaning. For that matter, in this case the announcement wasn't even coincidental. It was deliberately done to take advantage of an appropriate date. Well, now I guess you now also know that if you look up the definition for "anal retentive", you will see my picture .

But the larger point about ditching the Rockies name hours after the Rockies wrapped up their first World Series appearance seems dead on.

Maybe the real point is the fact that their first appearance only lasted hours.

LT

[BallWonk]

Just makes me think of the glorious but aborted New Hampshire Primaries, who had one of the best names, logo sets, and uniforms in minor league history, but at the last minute the team switched to naming itself after a wet rat.

But the larger point about ditching the Rockies name hours after the Rockies wrapped up their first World Series appearance seems dead on. Why not milk the name association? Or at least stick with a Rockies-like local mountain reference, such as the Tetons or Bighorns or whatever.

Amen to the Primaries. Bad call to drop it.

The timing of the announcement may be unfortunate, but this rebrand was in the works long before anybody even thought the Rockies could make the playoffs, much less the Series.

To add to Gothamite's refutation of my own earlier point, it's also true that the Casper Rockies had a pretty dreadful set of logos and uniforms. As much as you'd like for the team management to have the guts to take the gift of the Rockies climb to regional belovedness and scrap the rebrand, at least for a year, the new identity and uniforms are superior to what they have now.

And the truth is, I'm generally against minor-league teams using parent-club names, though I do like when the affiliates have names that are thematically related to the parent club. So, for example, I liked having the Harrisburg Senators and Savannah Sand Gnats in the Nationals system, but I'm not such a big fan of the Potomac Nationals. And while I am the proud owner of a Helena Brewers cap, I'd rather the team had taken a more localized alcohol-related name, like the Whiskeyjacks or something. So if I lived in Casper, I'd be happy about the new team identity, though not as happy as I would have been if they'd gone for a mountain-related name, or at least used the darn ghost steer idea.

[winghaz]

I love the nickname. But will they have to pay royalties to Harvey Cartoons?

[Gothamite]

Whiskey Jacks is a great name for a team.

Surprised it's gone so long without somebody adopting it - Thunder Bay moved and changed its name what, a decade ago?