When you think of a product or business launch, you don’t usually think of an actual launch. But, sometimes that is exactly what you might have…
We have a client who wanted a strong logo for his sports program. The name is Ballistic Lacrosse. Great name. Ballistic is a good name for a lacrosse team because the word itself conjures up so many interesting images and concepts, from trajectory to arcs to launch to attack. Plus, the word ball is hidden in there, too, which can’t hurt!
The organization is a lacrosse program with several teams under the overall Ballistic banner. Each team is named after a missile. Missiles. Rockets. Blast off. You can see the brainstorming session starting already, right?
Sports logos are their own special part of the logo biz. They have to stand up to a LOT of use (and often abuse) and can appear almost anywhere. In addition to the typical marketing materials, a sports logo has to look great on jerseys and helmets, car magnets and stickers. It’s a tall order but, honestly, of all logos they are the most fun to do and among the most satisfying because of the enormous range of applications. As a designer, there is nothing more exciting than seeing your work live and in person, so sports teams are particularly good for that.
So, this is what we made
It’s proven to be very popular and successful. The colors work well in the Florida environment–blue and green are commonly identified with the Sunshine State. At the same time, they avoid any association with any of the big Florida college or pro teams.
Plus it has a plenty of fun factor. A shark-toothed missile. A blast of smoke. A great name. Kids love it. Adults think it’s cool. It looks great on clothing. It was a blast (ha ha) to do!
What it does NOT do is incorporate a lacrosse stick into the design. That’s not an accident. Look at most lacrosse team logos and you find the hopelessly hackneyed crossed sticks. The worst cases are clunky silhouettes crossed like swords over the team name. We wanted to avoid this at all costs. The client, however, is the kind of guy who likes nothing more than to follow what he sees as tradition. Tradition is often just a visual habit. And it’s good to break a habit.