brandIDENTITY: Smitten and Snakebitten

[tBBP]

Snakes. Hate them in real life; love when a good sports identity is based around one. Just so happens two of them exist down in Arizona. This set deals with the baseball version.

I liked when the Diamondbacks rebranded their image several years back; the new colors really looked more, well, "Arizona" than their previous ones. And that script they came up with is one of my favorite of all. So quirky and cool to look at...just made me wonder why they didn't flesh that out more. Well, since they didn't, I did--well, sort of.

Here's my issue with the Diamondbacks' current branding package: they have four different logos that all look pretty decent on their own (well, except for one--and you all know the one I mean); the problem is that none of them really fit together as a cohesive package in my opinion. So I went and pared that down to just two. I figured I would try and do a new "A" in the same style as their current one, "diamondbacked" and all, utilizing an "A" from their current script to help it tie into the identity better. Also, and this might be an unpopular move (I'd have to hear it from Diamondback fans though), that same "A", minus the diamonds, exists as the cap logo here. (It's not that I don't like the idea of the snake-forms-a-D thing; I just don't like the illustration style.) The other secondary logo, the snakehead, exists as the sleeve patch/logo here.

Onto the uniforms...I wanted to have some fun with this one, as their identity lends itself to some pretty neat ideas. First and foremost...a long time ago I got to playing around with that script trying to see if I could form some numbers out of it. Well, I finally managed to do so; I think they came out pretty sharp. As for the chest scripts, the "Arizona" stays for the road sets; out goes the "D-backs" on the homes (I personally would like to know who thought that'd be a good idea for a jersey script in the first place). In place is a "throwback" to the previous sets: the "A" chest logo, but with front numbers this go-round (for reasons I have yet to figure out, I kinda like that look--I think the White Sox do it the best, though). Also, for some reason I tend to like the vest look (though I know many of y'all don't); probably something to do with the inherent lack of color on the "canvas", so to speak, so both primary home and away are vested here, with neat little "diamondback" trim on the sleeves--look for it. Caps are primarily sedona, but I also included a black-billed version, just because I think it helps bring out the black trim throughout the rest of the uniform. Also included is a pinstriped home alternate; I have no idea why, but I think the Diamondbacks pulled off the pinstripe thing pretty well in their last branding life, so that set is a nod to the former sets. Alongside that is a red alternate jersey with gold chest scripts and jersey numbers, and a "black-out" kit, hypothetically for use as a "night time home alt" or something to that effect--or for whatever reason they use their black hat/jersey sets currently. I used the snake head on the front of the batting practice jersey, with primarily black numbers. (I went back and forth on whether or not to do the black-on-red thing for the red alt or go the gold-on-red, which is eventually what I went with.)

The overall impression I aimed for with this is to appear more, well, "snake-like", if that makes any sense. In any event, here they all are:

(By the way: this was my first and will probably be the last time rendering pinstripes on a player model...that was DIFFICULT.)

Hit me up... ~Buc

[GangGr33n FTW]

I like the idea of a pinstriped primary, your grey away, red with gold nos, and black as a set. How would the black stirrups look on the aways, I definatley think that would contrast well. And how about gold socks on the away alt??? That'd be different and unique. All in all, sick job and keep it going.

[aci]

I like the work you did on the jerseys, with the sleeve trim, the colour choices and the number font.

I'm not really fond of the change you made to the 'A' logo though. Now, it seems very abstract, whereas before, the negative space within the 'A' actually created a snake head. The snake with the ball in its mouth also looks pretty cartoony, and the 'db' snakehead logo is significantly better. So I like where you went with the uniforms, but not with the logo set.

[Raymie]

Very nice. But as an Arizona resident, do not touch that A.