Portland Beavers Unveil New Logos, Uniforms

[BallWonk]

I like the new logo but it kind of looks like a chipmunk

Well, beavers kind of do, so there's that. I figure that the bucktoothed cartoon rodent, with a beaver tail, appearing next to the word "Beavers", probably solves any latent looks-like-a-chipmunk issues.

I like the colors, but will have to reserve judgment until we see actual uniform elements. If the uniforms look like what the cartoon beaver is wearing, they should be good, depending on the jersey script. It's gonna be tough for this team to make any change an upgrade, but so far the signs are promising.

[hecticbro]

I think it sucks. Their former set was great. It had much better colors and a really nice cap. I guess they want to tie in with the Padres (though hardly any of their fans seem to be Padres fans), but that color scheme doesn't work for Portland. It screams San Diego to me.

[Mac the Knife]

Beat ya by about a minute...!

Dang, scooped by the all-seeing, all-knowing Pantone!

It's his birthday. He's allowed.

[OMMF]

Portland team in San Diego colors? I can dig. And not all Portland teams are red and black. The Timbers would never go for that.

[Lee.]

I.

LOVE.

this.

[Gothamite]

Wow.

Major upgrade. Major, major upgrade.

They took the thing I liked the most - the Beaver mascot - and built an identity around it.

[Gothamite]

The story and pics aren't up quite yet, but the Beavers' website has now been updated:

Portland Beavers

The new BP cap logo is my avatar...

Anything else you can share with us, since they're now public?

[Brian in Boston]

As to the Beavers, I really don't think the new look is "about money" in the sense of selling new stuff... my experiences attending minor-league games don't lead me to believe that minor-league fans care whether the cap they bought two years ago is now the wrong color. Rather, the team has new owners. The new owners understandably want to put their own "stamp" on the team and also try to spark greater interest in the team. They've milked the rename/recolor process for positive free media exposure all winter long. Were I the new owner of a team, I would do exactly the same thing, without giving a single thought to merchandise sales.

No offense, but merchandising dollars factored into this decision in some way, shape or form.

Yes, the Portland Beavers' new owners want to put their own "stamp" on the team they just bought. Yes, milking the rebranding process allowed the new owners to garner positive free media exposure to this point in the off-season. That said, rebranding the team allowed them to do both of those things while also introducing a new line of licensed merchandise that at least some portion of their fan-base will be inclined to purchase. Additionally, those minor-league fans you referenced who don't particularly care whether they're wearing out-of-date merchandise may well be more inclined to buy such items now that they're available at clearance prices.

There aren't many moves - if any - that are made at the minor-professional level in sports without an eye towards how they impact the bottom-line. The profit margins can be that slim, even at Triple-A. The new owners of the Portland Beavers were well aware of the fact that introducing an updated brand package was going to have a positive impact on their merchandising efforts... and they embraced that fact in committing to the rebranding effort. Guaranteed.

All of that said, I see this as a lateral move. Basically, they've gone from utilizing a 1920s/30s-style illustration of their Beaver mascot to a 1950s-style illustration of the mascot character. Rather than being depicted as pugnaciously aggressive, said mascot is now quirkily eager-looking. If anything, I slightly preferred the old mascot... but not enough to consider this a downgrade. I'm indifferent on the new color scheme.

[TruColor]

Anything else you can share with us, since they're now public?

I'm thinking that the colors are probably OK to share:

Personally, I love these colors. Not quite Padres colors; very unique. And, the silly color descriptions are interesting as well.

[TruColor]

It's his birthday. He's allowed.

Thanks.

Hey - did you email me about something recently? I think I lost the email...

[amare32]

I can't help wanting to call them the Portland Trail Beavers.

[BallWonk]

As to the Beavers, I really don't think the new look is "about money" in the sense of selling new stuff... my experiences attending minor-league games don't lead me to believe that minor-league fans care whether the cap they bought two years ago is now the wrong color. Rather, the team has new owners. The new owners understandably want to put their own "stamp" on the team and also try to spark greater interest in the team. They've milked the rename/recolor process for positive free media exposure all winter long. Were I the new owner of a team, I would do exactly the same thing, without giving a single thought to merchandise sales.

No offense, but merchandising dollars factored into this decision in some way, shape or form.

...

There aren't many moves - if any - that are made at the minor-professional level in sports without an eye towards how they impact the bottom-line. The profit margins can be that slim, even at Triple-A. The new owners of the Portland Beavers were well aware of the fact that introducing an updated brand package was going to have a positive impact on their merchandising efforts... and they embraced that fact in committing to the rebranding effort. Guaranteed.

Of course you're right; no sensible management would have made a decision they thought would lose money. But the original assertion I was responding to had two axes:

1. This team redesign is just a cynical cash grab like the A's making a black alt jersey; and

2. That makes this redesign a bad thing.

In this case, neither claim is true, or at least neither can be supported by the available evidence. Any truly engaged new owners of a franchise would do as Portland has done here regardless of the merchandising benefit. (Is there a merchandising benefit? Hard to believe there would be much of one. Every dollar counts, but come on. How many people in Portland simply must buy new Beavers merchandise now? Dozens? A few hundred, tops?) The timing and conduct of this team redesign is entirely supportable without regard to financial considerations, and in fact financial considerations would have been better served by an early December unveiling. But, yeah, it's a business, so the bottom line figures into the decision, big time. It's just that this is not a clear example of a cynical cash-grab at the expense of the fans. It's the minor leagues: everyone wears last year's hat to the ballgame.

[Mac the Knife]

It's his birthday. He's allowed.

Thanks.

Hey - did you email me about something recently? I think I lost the email...

Yeah - I'll resend it.

[Schilly]

I'd really like to see Hats and Jerseys available in the "Pacific Blue"

That sky blue tone is one that IMO is really good for Baseball and no MLB team uses it.

[vagabond]

Weird. Just checked the Beavers website for any new updates, and they've got the old logo and colors back up, with no sign of the new logo.

NEVER MIND, IT'S BACK UP!

[TruColor]

Weird. Just checked the Beavers website for any new updates, and they've got the old logo and colors back up, with no sign of the new logo.

Uh oh...

I wonder if I need to take my stuff down as well...

[gbasalmon]

Weird. Just checked the Beavers website for any new updates, and they've got the old logo and colors back up, with no sign of the new logo.

Uh oh...

I wonder if I need to take my stuff down as well...

It was all new as of 4:45 EST. Maybe you need to clear your cache, vagabond?

[Gothamite]

Yeah, not only are the new colors/logo still up, they've added a picture:

and a more complete description.

Building on more than 90 years of franchise history, the Beavers? visual identity signals a new direction for the team while at the same time blending elements of the considerable past of the Portland club that was a charter member of the Pacific Coast League in the early 1900s. A large part of the re-branding initiative is centered on the emphasis of this unique charm, showcasing the Beavers as ?Portland?s Team Since 1903.?

?Over the last several months, we received significant fan input regarding just how valued the long and rich tradition of the Portland Beavers is in our community,? said Merritt Paulson, president and general manager of the Beavers. ?The new logo and uniforms embrace the history that Portlanders told us is so meaningful to them; the look helps to underscore the fact that the Beavers have been Portland?s team since 1903.?

The new identity for the Beavers includes a complete color change; new primary, secondary and cap logos; and new home, road, alternate and batting practice uniforms and hats.

Reminiscent of a mark featured by the Beavers decades ago, the new primary logo is a complete redesign from the team?s former identity that was in use for seven seasons starting in 2001 when Portland returned to the PCL. Playing on familiar elements from nearly a century?s worth of franchise history, the new primary logo features ?Lucky,? a charismatic beaver swinging from the left side of the plate, encompassed by a round border that includes the phrasing ?Portland Beavers? and ?EST?D 1903.?

Serving as the most prominent visual component to fans, the new look includes entirely redesigned home, road, alternate and batting practice uniforms and caps. Designed by Sandstrom Design and produced through a partnership with adidas, the new uniforms embody the history of the club while forging a distinct and classic new, on-field image.

The new identity takes on a timeless and unique appeal with a Midnight Navy base and a complement of lighter blues and Oregon Beach.

Portland?s off-white home uniform is accented in Midnight Navy and features half-inch braiding atop the shoulders, around the neck and down the front of the jersey, reminiscent of classic uniforms worn decades ago. The home jersey includes a custom, three-color ?Beavers? script across the chest with the contemporary flair of nameplates stitched on the back.

On the road, the team will wear traditional gray uniforms with Midnight Navy piping and a custom, three-color ?Portland? script.

Both the home and road jerseys include the new primary logo on the left sleeve and the modern touches of numerals below the crest.

The new Vintage Sunday uniform is a basic, two-color combination that features a specialized ?P? crest on the left chest and white braiding on a Midnight Navy jersey with white pants. This uniform, which will be worn during Sunday home games in 2008, is topped by a white hat with a dark navy bill and a specialized ?P? logo that ties in perfectly with the retro jersey. Underlining the classic look is the team?s new ?Lucky Beavers? logo that is prominent on the left-hand sleeve. Longtime baseball fans in the Rose City will remember the endearing moniker, ?Lucky Beavers,? bestowed upon the city?s professional baseball team in the 1940s thanks to a string of good fortune on the field.

The home cap has a Midnight Navy crown and bill with the team?s new cap logo highlighted by a gold ?P? outlined in Metropolitan Blue and a beaver swinging through with its tail. The road cap has a Midnight Navy crown, Pacific Blue bill and a similar ?P? logo outlined in Metropolitan Blue and filled with Pacific Blue.

I love the stripe down the sleeve - one of my favorite old uniform flourishes (à la the 1940s Cardinals), so rarely seen today.

[vagabond]

Weird. Just checked the Beavers website for any new updates, and they've got the old logo and colors back up, with no sign of the new logo.

Uh oh...

I wonder if I need to take my stuff down as well...

It was all new as of 4:45 EST. Maybe you need to clear your cache, vagabond?

No, they took it down briefly, and put the old stuff back up for a few minutes...maybe to tinker with it? I kept refreshing the page, and after a minute or two, it popped up with the new logo and look again.

[Gothamite]

Funny - I was wondering if they were going to use a cream-colored jersey, based on the new primary logo. I was right.

Have to see the new wordmark, but I think I'll be buying a jersey.