For my Capstone Project in my final design class, I wanted to strengthen the branding and illustration aspects of my portfolio. I decided to do 2 fictional NFL expansion teams: the Utah Summit, and the Hawai’i Tropics. For both teams, I made a complete brand guide, including typography, logo families, uniforms and helmets, social media posts, and billboard advertisements. A goal of this project was to create a brand system that is heavily intertwined within the location of the team, making a strong local connection to the fans.
SALT LAKE SUMMIT
I began the project with research on NFL team locations, and strong potential locations for a new team. I found that Salt Lake City is a perfect place for a new team; it has a strong connection to football through nearby universities like Utah State and BYU, and it has a large media market. Additionally, the city has other professional sports teams.
When making the branding for the Summit, I wanted to focus on the natural beauty of Utah, and the mountain ranges that surround the Salt Lake Valley on 3 sides: the Wasatch Mountains, Oquirrh Mountains, and the Traverse Ridge.
Through the branding, I hoped to showcase a strong and stable mark that “rose upward”, influenced by the “Summit” name. The colors were chosen in reference to the red rocks and beautiful sunsets of Utah. Through the color palette, I created a home, away, and alternate uniform and logo system.
To continue this branding, I created a potential social media team post, and an out-of-home advertisement.
HAWAI'I TROPICS
Despite being an unlikely candidate for the next team expansion, Hawai’i still makes sense for a team down the line. There is a connection to football through the University of Hawai’i, and the islands have an incredible history of Polynesian exploration, sovereign rule, and US statehood. This beautiful location with its rich history was something I aspired to showcase throughout the branding.
I chose “Tropics” as Hawai’i is the only US state below the Tropic of Cancer. Additionally, the name is original for a major sports team, and it reflects the unique, lush aspects of the landscape.
I used a green sea turtle as the main logo, as this is a protected animal native to Hawaiian waters. Through the branding, I wanted to convey a fluid, energetic movement, in contrast with the stable rising Summit mark.
The colors of the team were inspired by the landscape; the green turtles, the lush green tropical vegetation, and the strikingly blue tropical waters.
To continue this branding, I created a potential social media team post, and an out-of-home advertisement.
This project was my first true venture into a complete sports team branding, and through this project I have gained a much better awareness of how a sports branding system can come together to truly represent the fans. I’m proud of these logomarks, and I certainly gained more experience within illustrating and bringing those illustrations to life with vector design.