Recreational Sport Logos

Sports and active competition are a major part of  our society. Most days of the week are dedicated to some sporting  event and we just can’t get enough of it. Just like most things, sports can open the door for other marketing opportunities like TV commercials, merchandise sales or team logos. Everyone knows the major designs for our most famous sports teams, but what about some of the lesser known ones? In the world of recreational sports, there are a ton of smaller, non-professional teams that have worked hard and created logos that are just as good as the famous ones.

With some inspiration from the NFL logo, the Mount Lawley indoor soccer team uses a shield to express its strength and it stands out with a bold, black line surrounding it. The ink splatter makes it more unique and gives it a distinct look. The spots that are left on the white background somewhat resemble the black and white of a soccer ball.

Simple and to the point. Outlaw Motor Sports sticks to only a few warm colors that compliment each other and don’t overkill the design. The text looks like a low sunset at the bottom of a mountain with the yellow fading into the red.

I love how the “M” and the horse’s legs seem to run together in this design for the Medaille Mavericks. The design has potential, but does not seem complete to me. The “M” could be reworked a little to flow better and some yellow highlights on the horse may help a lot.

I’m not sure why this monkey is kick boxing or how the monkey itself represents anything that has to do with kick boxing, but perhaps that is the idea behind this logo. It may be meant to cause you to question it. It looks like it is done well, simple, limited color use and memorable, but the monkey just confuses me. At least it does stand out.

The Seattle Orca logo is a great visual for team logos. It has the orca whale as the main focus with a football on its fin as if it’s holding it. The Space Needle in the background is a great addition, representing Seattle and the text is a perfect representation of sea life. Overall, the logo has everything and works great.

I know this qualifies as a video game, but since it also forces you to get off the couch and work those muscles, Wii Sports Resort also qualifies as a recreational sport. The logo is just blue text, but the font used for the word sports has an italicized look as if it is leaning from a swift wind blowing by. It’s a nice, subtle touch that seems to carry a feel of energy.

Magic is a race against your other opponents and also works as a social event. Like most card games, interaction with others is involved and Magic brings the fantasy element to the table. The logo has that fantasy/sci-fi look, like something right out of the pages of a book of spells. This version of the logo briefly demonstrate the detailed work that is displayed on each individual card. They all represent different things depending on what the card is about, but the artwork is pretty amazing in itself.

Uno has a very simple logo with bold, block lettering. The letters have a sleek shine and 3D effect. On the box cover, there is a plain, red background, but the individual cards have the “Uno” name within a red oval with a black background. This oval carries on to all the other cards thereafter.

Sports and logo designs seem to go hand in hand. Every team needs a great logo. If they didn’t have one, what would they display on their shirts or helmets? Recreational games are an enjoyable part of all our lives, why not get involved?

-Nora Reed

Board Game Logos

I personally never really liked board games for most of my life until the last few years when I took a major interest in them and realized that they are a lot of fun. There are many really great ones out there that are both challenging and enjoyable, however I usually find the classic games to be the best. Its got to be hard to try to come up with games that can top monopoly, scrabble, yahtzee or clue. They are just too good, which is why they have stayed popular for such a long time.

My interest in games lead me to assess the logos and box art that is displayed so proudly on the game’s cover. It seems that most of them are simple designs such as a manipulated font or just colored text. I found it difficult to find pictures of the logos themselves, so you get to see the entire box cover for most of them, but you can get the idea.

This is actually the cover of a Nintendo DS game, but the game is based on a few of the original board games, so it was a good example of a bunch of their logos all in one. Most of these seem to be simple text with few flashy graphics, but I believe that is because high quality graphic design was not as convenient at the time when these board games were fresh and new.

The Monopoly design is very simple with just the name of the game in a red banner. Other versions of the game’s logo had the same design, but with Mr. Monopoly popping his head out of the center. This same design was later modified in which higher tech graphics were used to give Mr. Monopoly a more 3D look. A shadow was added behind his hand and he is in color. The letters themselves are also more 3 dimensional and emerge a bit from their red banner background.

The Scrabble Board game logo has gone through an update as well. The original was very formal and classy, using a lot of curly ends on the letters. The “S” and the “E” had a handwritten script look to it and the “R” only came down below the “A.” In the new version, the “R” extends below the entire rest of the word. It also lost the red scroll in the background and gained an abstract, bubbly design behind the letters. This version has a much more modern look, which may help it appeal to the current generation.

With simple capital lettering in blocks of color, the game of Life always keeps its logo, but changes backgrounds according to different themes it has taken on over time.

Candy Land has the perfect logo for its title. What better way to demonstrate a world of candy, but with lettering that is made up of peppermint sticks? It’s just a preview of the peppermint forest that you travel through while playing the game.

Blokus is quite an enjoyable game if you get a chance to play. It is one that I think every gamer should try out if they haven’t already. It is a basic strategy game, but is a lot of fun. Their logo isn’t bad either. The square design is right from the game and the four colors represent the four players.

I enjoy this game, although I think there should be an apple somewhere in that logo. The lettering and colors do seem to suit it, but with a picture of an apple missing, it just seems incomplete.

I think that board games have been pushed aside a bit with all of the newer technologies that are available, but I still find them to be great pass times. They are something to do that is social and can bring people together. A party just isn’t the same without breaking out a game of Balderdash or Apples to Apples. If you haven’t tried it yet, its a great way to get a party going.

-Nora Reed

Who doesn’t enjoy some sweet treats? Cakes especially are a popular dessert that we use for so many special occasions and sometimes, just for no reason at all. It’s even fun to watch a cake go from batter to masterpiece, which is why we  have so many television shows based on cake baking. The food network especially is filled with interesting cake based shows that apparently do pretty well in ratings. Everyone has a bit of a sweet tooth once in a while, so to create a good logo for a cake shop, the key is to play on that sweet tooth and show how appealing sweets can be.

I like to show this one first, because I think it’s great. The Cake Shop logo has a well done design that is very appealing to the eye. The curly lettering makes the design appear both professional and fun. The emblem to the left shows an elegant, almost gift like cake and the black background brings some formality to it. This cake shop seems like a place where one would shop for their wedding cake.

Piece of Cake also has an elegant look with the roses, which add a lot of color to an otherwise monotone piece. Although, I don’t think I really like the way the cake is toppling over at the top. It implies that a real cake from them may do so as well. That’s something I know I would like to avoid.

Simple and does the trick. As a cheesecake shop, Cheesy Affairs displays a cheesecake slice within the logo and a golden brown color, which is usually associated with cheesecake.

I can see where this one is going, but frankly, I think it is quite boring. three stacked rectangles may imply a cake, but the design is too plain and simple and looks to me like a first draft of a logo that has yet to be finished. The lettering works well, but the attempt on the cake needs a total redesign.

The same goes for Adam’s Cake Shop. This logo looks like it is still in the working process. The logo lacks color and personality and the drawing of the man is not proportioned correctly. It looks like his arm is awkwardly emerging from his side. His shoulder looks like it’s dislocated.

This last one may not be for a cake shop, but if applied to a name, it certainly would work for one. It’s simple and looks appetizing, although some color would help.

A logo really does help sell a business. These shops would not be nearly as appealing without their logos to help jump start one’s appetite for sweets. Now I am getting hungry and think I might take up baking as a hobby.

-Nora Reed

With time, things naturally progress and the same applies to logos. A company’s logo is its visual identity, but if it has had the same design for years, a logo design can become outdated. Recreating a company logo can sometimes mean re-evaluating the values of the company and assessing the market and current situations going on in the world. A logo can go through many changes during the life of the company it represents, especially if it is a major company that has been in existence for a long time. Here are some great examples of the changing life of logos.

Paramount

Warner Brothers

MGM

Paramount, Warner Brothers and MGM are a few of the larger, more successful film studios and have been around for a long period of time. As you can see, they have also experienced many logo changes throughout their progression. Since the ability to create better graphics is always advancing, film studios, especially, need to keep up with it. Better graphics in their logo can give the impression that there are better graphics in the film and draw a bigger audience. It’s always about selling and the better you sell your company, the better you will sell your product. Sometimes its the little things that make a bigger difference.

Google

It seems that originally, Google had an exclamation point at the end of their logo, much like Yahoo!. It looks like they did away with it in 1999, which is a wise decision for them in my opinion. It is important to stand out among the competition and steer away from similar ideas. No matter who had it first, someone has to break down and give in. It looks like Google was the one to do so, but they became more successful, so it worked out for them in the end.

Motel 6

Apple

NBC

Pepsi

Pepsi has been through many identity changes over the years. For larger companies, it is easier for them to put forth the money for changing branding strategies. Pepsi has definitely kept up with its competition and its newest logo has stirred up so much controversy, that is seems to have skyrocketed them right into the spotlight.

Cadillac

BMW

Car companies also go through a lot of identity changes. BMW seems to have stayed fairly similar, but just made simple updates over the years. Nothing is wrong with that as long as the logo is still suited for the times and the nature of the business. Logo updates are one great way for a business to tell the world that they keep themselves fresh and always have new products or ideas to offer the public. Visual representation is a major way to sell your business and keeping your logo strong is just as important as selling your product.

-Nora Reed

As far as cameras go, Canon is a far superior product. Based on my own experience, Canon cameras last longer and perform more efficiently. The company also updates its products often and continues to advance itself as technology grows. The company’s first name was Kwanon, which was used as a trial, but was never released on the market. Once the name was changed, the original logo for Canon was designed in 1935. It was very basic and simple, but contained a unique “C,” in which the top was curved inward and ended in a sharp point. That style of letter was not available in Europe or North America, thus improving Canon’s global appeal.

As the company grew, their name changed and they soon adapted new business styles and a new logo. In 1953, another version of the logo was released and then perfected in 1955. That final version is still the logo that is used today. Canon is a company that is so confident in their quality that they have felt strong about their design for half a century.

-Nora Reed