The possibilities are endless with the amount of content we could create. Baseball and sports fans are always hungry for quality merchandise and an attention to detail with their team brand. We (as fans) value ties to our city and it’s heritage, the devil truly is in the details. For example, the baseball seams below are a pattern inspired directly from the front of the statues. The longer you look at the designs, the more you can discover.
Just like the statues themselves I wanted this new mark to be simple, iconic and timeless. The C/G combo is directly inspired by the iconic shape of the guardian statues that overlook our ballpark. The perfect combo of clean and modern with a touch of class and history.
We should retain our beloved color palette as it helps build familiarity with the fans. Change is hard, but this will help bridge the gap during the transition and keeps substance, history and heritage. So even though the name and imagery may change, this will let it feel like it’s always been our team.
The Cleveland Guardians are ready to take the field and make an impact. There are subtle patterns and textures used here that are directly influenced by the robes of the actual guardian statues. And instead of a stark white I chose to use a warm stone hue for the actual uniforms. They are a deviation from the norm, so you won’t find any usual pinstriping here. Echoing the guardian’s attire only helps further anchor our team to our city. Baseball is supposed to be fun, so lets have some fun.
The problem with every solution and rebrand I’ve seen is the overly complicated nature of the concept. Sports logos work best when they are clean, simple, and you can instantly recognize what it is you’re looking at. The winged C is directly inspired by the headdress on the actual statues. It wouldn’t be Cleveland without an iconic red C. And the guardian itself is an imposing and strong figure, while the wings provide a sense of movement. We don’t need yet another overly aggressive animal mascot, let’s keep it classy.
