SOLVING PROBLEMS
THE PROBLEM
What did the client need to accomplish with the new brand identity system?
The Enforcers needed higher attendance rates and ticket sales post-Covid-19 to revive interest in their team.
THE SOLUTION
What solution was crafted to solve the client's problem?
The new brand identity system was designed to attract customers from the target demographic to generate ticket sales and additional revenue from merchandise.
Step One
Crafting an Onliness Statement
The first order of business was to develop an onliness statement for the Enforcers. With the onliness statement as the foundation for the brand identity system, the organization could now clearly see the features and benefits their product/team offered to the newly defined target demographic. The first iteration of the onliness statement is as follows:
“The Enforcers are the only semiprofessional hockey team in the Las Vegas, Nevada city limits to offer fast-paced, hard-hitting, nonstop action on the ice that allows fans to connect with other like-minded individuals and emerging hockey talent. The Enforcers offer an exhilarating atmosphere where young professionals and suburban families can enjoy high-speed gameplay with a physical intensity not offered by any other national sports. The Enforcer provides fun and entertainment for everyone in the family at a low cost for an unforgettable hour of excitement.”
The first iteration was long-winded, more like a paragraph instead of a statement that showcased who the brand was and the benefits of the product they were selling, (their team). After receiving feedback, a second iteration was crafted.
“The Enforcers are the only semiprofessional hockey team in the Las Vegas, Nevada city limits to offer nonstop action on the ice that allows fans of traditional hockey rules to experience the thrill of watching the ice guardians fight to maintain the highest winning percentage in ECHL history.”
The second draft was not as long; however, the benefits and features were not identified. Additionally, the statement reads more like a paragraph as opposed to a statement.
The final iteration of the online statement for the Enforcers was then crafted.
“The Enforcer is the only hockey team in Las Vegas, Nevada to offer an opportunity for fans of traditional hockey rules to experience the thrill of watching hockey the way it was meant to be played.”
Step Two
Creating the Tagline
In addition to an onliness statement, the Enforcers needed a tagline to further illustrate who they are. Several potential lines were drafted:
1. The Ice Guardians of Sin City.
2. Hockey is unrestricted.
3. The hottest thing to hit the ice.
4. The hottest thing on the ice.
After careful review and consideration, the tagline that best fit the client's needs was determined.
The hottest team on the ice became the new tagline for the Enforcers organization.
Step Three
Crafting the vision board
Like the onliness statement and tagline, the vision board for the Enforcers went through several iterations that were remarkably different from one another. This was the first vision board crafted:
Step Four
Sketching Logo Concepts
Once the vision board was crafted, the next step was to begin sketching logo concepts. The following sketches were crafted to match the vision for the brand identity system at that time (vision board draft 2).
The ideas here are based on the theme of fire and ice guardians. Heraldry was the main inspiration behind these concepts. Knowing that the Enforcers needed a mascot that would represent the team was also a major source of inspiration for these sketches. The idea that the knight, lion, or dragon could potentially be that representative is what drove the incorporation of those creatures into the sketches for the new logo.
Refinements continued and the following sketches were crafted. Still searching for the one that best fits the developing brand identity
WHY THE LION?
Why was the lion selected to possibly represent the Enforcers?
For many millennia lions have been linked to protection and revered as powerful warriors. In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Sekhmet is shown as a woman with the head of a lioness. The son of Sekhmet Nefer Atum is also shown with the head of a lion in a male form. Both deities chose the head of the lion to showcase their ferocity and prowess. In Egypt Sekhmet, the lion-headed Goddess was the fiercest warrior. It is believed that she created the dessert from her breath. With the Enforcers, the lion was well suited for similar reasons. Positioning the team with a creature closely associated with powerful deities revered as great warriors, and protectors, would allow fans to relate them to those very attributes.
WHY THE KNIGHT?
Why was the knight selected to possibly represent the Enforcers?
Like the lion, the knight was selected to represent the great warriors that the Enforcers team is comprised of. In Medieval times also referred to as the Dark Ages in European history, knights were not always chivalrous (Gershon, L. 2023). They were armed and prone to violence. It is because of this that chivalrous knights evolved to fend off the violent knights (History.com 2010). Be that as it may, knights have since been associated with strength, courage, and on the dark side, brutality. The Enforcers and the symbol of the knight fit well especially because of the willingness of the team to trade blows with opponents on the ice to ensure victory.
WHY WASN'T THE KNIGHT CHOSEN?
Why the knight was not chosen for further refinement.
As research continued, new information from the ECHL team's website revealed that four of the 28 teams in the organization had a knight or knight-like figure incorporated into their brand identity system. With the statistics showing that 14 % of the teams were already using a symbol close to the one being crafted for the Enforcers, going in a different direction seemed prudent to distinguish the Enforcers from the other existing teams in the league (ECHL, 2023).
REFINING AND RESEARCHING FURTHER
From the sketches shown under logo concepts the following refinements evolved.
These refinements evolved further into the next set of logos.
WHY WASN'T THIS THE FINAL SOLUTION?
What information caused the drastic change in direction?
As the brand identity was developed and further research was conducted, it was discovered that 2 of the 28 teams in the ECHL, the Reading Royals, and the Trois-Rivieres Lions both used what looked like lion heads in their brand identity system. Though that calculates to less than 10 % of the league, going in a similar direction would make it more difficult for the Enforcers to separate themselves from the other teams in the league.
Trois-Rivières Lions
Reading Royals
Research showed that 16 of the 28 teams in the ECHL incorporated a creature or symbolic representative into the logo for their teams. Of those 16 teams that incorporated a creature or representative into the logo 2 teams had already selected a large wild cat as their symbol, and 4 teams incorporated a knight or humanlike representative into their logo. With that in mind, deciding to incorporate a dragon into the Enforcers brand identity was the best choice to differentiate the Enforcers from the other teams in the ECHL. Turning away from the last set of logo refinements and landing on the next iteration of the logo.
Which was refined further to the final draft.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE COLOR PALETTE
The First Color Palette
The deep shades of royal blue and warm shades of gold and bronze were all selected to reflect the theme of champions. Most first-place trophies are made of metallic gold or a gold-plated material. If a ribbon is awarded with the trophies and or medal received, the usual colors of the ribbon are navy blue for winning first place. This color palette is meant to be a representation of victory, which at the time was the theme for the brand identity system. The psychology of color is used in tandem with the theme of victory to drive home the message that the Enforcers have been and will continue to be victorious. “Navy blue is a dark shade of blue that is often associated with authority, stability, and reliability. The color gets its name from the dark blue uniforms worn by officers in the British Royal Navy (Braam, H. 2022).” Additionally, gold is often closely associated with first place in competitions. Gold is a representation of masculinity, success, extravagance, prestige, and quality. (The Color Gold, 2018)
The Second Color Palette
The theme of the brand identity changed from victory to fire and ice guardians. The blue was selected for the same reasons articulated for the first color palette. In addition to that, now that the theme incorporated ice, it was also chosen to represent that element. The brown and yellow shades are incorporated to come together and be utilized for a custom gradient for the team's media assets. When used together they create a gold-like appearance meant to draw a connection to heraldry and the Dark Ages. The deep red was selected to represent the fire element in the new theme.
The Third Color Palette
The theme of the brand identity system evolved yet again. This time sans the ice guardian aspect. The new theme is and has remained since, the fire guardians. The new color palette was selected to represent the flames born from the team's dragon Monty’s fiery breath. The yellow, orange, and red are meant to represent the beautiful ombre of the flames emanating from the dragon.
The Final Color Palette
Yellow is the only thing that has been changed in the final version. In design using a pure version of yellow can lead to visual fatigue (Cherry, K. 2022). The pure yellow in the fourth version of the color palette served the purpose of drawing attention, representing the flame and caution. However, as it was it may have been overwhelming for the client's customers. Toning the brightness of the yellow down ever so slightly still allowed for the color to grab attention and represent the flame and caution while not exhausting the viewer.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEDIA ASSETS
The First Style Guide
The first draft of the brand style guide was crafted for the logo version containing the lion and medieval style type logo.
The First Set of Media Assets
These assets were designed based off the second version of the vision board.
THE FINAL SOLUTION
What was the final solution to the brand's Problem?
The final brand identity system cultivated for the Enforcers was designed to generate more interest in the team. Increasing the fan base and generating ticket sales by telling the story of the hottest team on the ice. The color palette ties the fire guardians to the flames of their dragon Monty. A flame that breathes life into the soul of the team, giving them the strength and stamina to destroy any opponents that dare set foot on the ice with the Enforcers. The dragon Monty is the physical representation of sin and power. The fire he breathes empowers the Enforcers who fight along his side and scorches all that rise against them. By combining these elements the story of the Enforcers and their new mascot is told visually. Luring fans of traditional hockey into a world of fantasy, battle, and victory!
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REFERNCES
Braam, H. van. (2022, December 5). Navy blue: Color code, meaning, symbolism, and psychology. Color Psychology. https://www.colorpsychology.org/navy-blue/
Cartwright, M. (2018, November 7). Medieval knight. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Medieval_Knight/
The Color Gold. Empowered By Color. (2018). https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-gold.html
GERSHON, L. (2023, August 19). Chivalry was established to keep thuggish, medieval Knights in check.
History.com. https://www.history.com/news/chivalry-knights-middle-ages
History.com Editors. (2010, April 22). Middle Ages - definition, Timeline & Facts. History.com.
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/middle-ages
Kendra Cherry, Mse. (2022, May 11). The impact of the color yellow on your mood. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-yellow-2795823
Lion depiction across ancient & modern religions. ALERT. (n.d.). https://lionalert.org/lion-depiction-across-ancient-modern-religions/
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (n.d.). Lion-headed goddess: Late period–Ptolemaic period. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/572087
Reading, PA professional hockey: Schedule. Reading Royals. (n.d.). https://royalshockey.com/
Teams. ECHL. (n.d.). https://echl.com/teams
Trois-Rivières Quebec professional hockey: Schedule. Trois-Rivières Lions. (n.d.). https://lions3r.com/