Meet the Teams of the CWCC:
Aquinas Blugolds Athletics Rebrand
Aquinas Blugolds Athletics Rebrand
This is a passion project and the first of my Meet the Teams of the CWCC series:
Aquinas Blugolds (LaCrosse, Wisc.)
Assumption Royals (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.)
Columbus Dons (Marshfield, Wisc.)
McDonnell Macks (Chippewa Falls, Wisc.)
Newman Fighting Cardinals (Wausau, Wisc.)
Pacelli Cardinals (Stevens Point, Wisc.)
Regis Ramblers (Eau Claire, Wisc.)
Assumption Royals (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.)
Columbus Dons (Marshfield, Wisc.)
McDonnell Macks (Chippewa Falls, Wisc.)
Newman Fighting Cardinals (Wausau, Wisc.)
Pacelli Cardinals (Stevens Point, Wisc.)
Regis Ramblers (Eau Claire, Wisc.)
Aquinas Blugolds
It's long been my belief that the Blugolds' are only called “Blugolds” as an homage to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I don't know that to be a fact, but I don't think I'm wrong. In fact, I think most Midwestern Catholic schools aspire to be a smaller version of Notre Dame, in terms of athletics.
That said, branding a sports team by color can lack the excitement of developing mascots that are aren't so abstract. That's why the Cleveland Browns' secondary logos have historically been grounded with a bulldog or a sprite. A color by itself isn't all that interesting, but when you attach it to something else, you have a party.
And in the case of Aquinas, I was in luck because St. Thomas Aquinas himself has been symbolized by a bolt of lightning for centuries. And lightning is perfect for athletes, as it's fast, elusive, dynamic, unpredictable. It's a grab bag of adjectives that make an opposing player a nightmare to play against.
Brand Elements
I challenged myself to integrate a lightning bolt with a capital A. It's a similar approach to the current Aquinas logo, only I chose to ditch the hands and emit the bolt directly from the letterform. All letters, scripts, and iconography are custom-built.
I challenged myself to integrate a lightning bolt with a capital A. It's a similar approach to the current Aquinas logo, only I chose to ditch the hands and emit the bolt directly from the letterform. All letters, scripts, and iconography are custom-built.
Once I designed the main icon form, I created various levels of complexity, with various faceted versions and color swaps to be used on different background colors. I gave the Roman letters a serif and sans serif version, and I designed the script for use, whether flat or angled.
Go Blugolds Animation
Lightning mostly happens in the rain, so I gave my logo animation a rainy, nighttime background. Once electrified by a lightning strike, "Go Blugolds" is revealed, and a chant animates.
Lightning mostly happens in the rain, so I gave my logo animation a rainy, nighttime background. Once electrified by a lightning strike, "Go Blugolds" is revealed, and a chant animates.
In-Game Applications
Again, focusing on bold and timeless design, I worked to create uniforms that look fresh now, and my hope is with only minimal tweaking, they could still be used a decade or two in the future.
Again, focusing on bold and timeless design, I worked to create uniforms that look fresh now, and my hope is with only minimal tweaking, they could still be used a decade or two in the future.
Merchandise
Fan gear offers these designs a chance to live in a space where they can chase trends a little more. Merch is all about emotion and excitement, and building community and culture around student activities.
Fan gear offers these designs a chance to live in a space where they can chase trends a little more. Merch is all about emotion and excitement, and building community and culture around student activities.
