Let's get to the sweaters

So for a couple weeks I have been playing around with logo ideas for the Giants. I originally pitched slightly different logos for home and away. I realize that this is often not an option in major junior hockey simply because of the price of producing a second main crest, so I added an outline to the crest used on the light jersey, so it would present better on a dark jersey. Here is the final product I have been working with:

With the logos finalized, I turned my attention to jersey design. As much as I would love it if Reebok manufactured unique sweaters for CHL teams, they don't. They only use existing templates. With this in mind I began to think about which template would lend itself to a classic look, and work well with the Giants logo and my new colour scheme. I had it narrowed down to 2 templates: the Current New Jersey Devils look, or a uniform based off of the New York Rangers 2012 Winter Classic jerseys. Midweek, my mind was made up when Stéphane sent in this brilliant design for the Giants based off the Devils uniforms.

By Stéphane Sinotte

Here is what Stéphane had to say about his design:

1. I agree that CHL teams have cluttered jerseys (my hometown Phoenix are clear winners on that matter!), but I think that keeping the WHL/OHL/LHJMQ and CHL logos are a must. Those leagues need to be known and recognized. I also don't think that Reebok will ever agree to remove their logos on the jerseys. So I say let's work with them when branding a team!

2. Since I want to keep all the logos, I guess we must work with a simple template, with the less possible details (no piping, etc.) and a simple, at the most 3 colors color scheme with a good contrast. That's why I kept the red, the darker brown and the lighter tan - or vintage white - and kept the other colours for the logos and the third jersey.

3. Reebok will not reinvent the wheel for minor leagues! I guess we're stuck with using NHL templates and recolored them. In this case, the Devils jerseys are the ones with the simpler and more traditional look (for a lumberjack theme) on the market.

4. The primary logos are perfect. Don't touch them. Shoulder patches are not needed. Forget them.

5. I'd use the "V" primary on the alternate only. On the particular jersey, I'd go with a lumberjack flanel motif - probably sublimated! - and reversed color on the striping. I'd scrap the shoulder yokes color, but still keep the template for the stitching, it looks like a shirt!. Also, on that one, the darker brown steps aside for the lighter brown to be use.

Having Stéphane send in a perfect Giants uniform set based off of the Devils template freed me up to create on based of my other idea (using the Rangers Winter Classic uniform as a base). I have 2 main reasons for using this sweater. 1) it is a great traditional hockey look. 2) it works well with a shield shaped logo.

Here is what I came up with:

I put Michael Bublé's name, and the number he uses whenever he plays in charity hockey games or practices with the Canucks on the sweater, because Bublé is a part owner of the Giants.

As always, I love to hear feedback from you all, and thanks for reading!

Evaluating the current Giants' unis

Hello everyone.

I want to take my time with this brand overhaul, and do it well, slowly, and methodically. As for posting on the blog, I will be doing the same. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew and promise 5 posts a week. My goal is to have one post every Saturday for the foreseeable future.

This week's post is fairly simple. I want to give you a breakdown of the Giant's logo and uniform history, and show you some updated logos that I worked on this week (it has been the last week of term, so I haven't put a huge amount of work in on this project this week, but I do want to share what I have done with you).

The Giants have had only minor uniform tweaks over their 12 year history. The biggest change happened in 2009-2010, with the introduction of the Reebok EDGE uniform system in the WHL.

Pre-Edge, the Giants uniforms were largely modeled after the Philadelphia Flyers uniforms from the 90's and 00's, with their dark red, black, and silver colour scheme. 

Images from: sportslogos.net

After the introduction of EDGE, the Giants modeled their look after the Calgary flames uniforms, using the exact same template, but putting black on the yokes instead of the cuffs (personally, I think this is absolutely unacceptable for a Vancouver hockey team for 2 reasons: 1) those uniforms SUCK. 2) No Vancouver team should have ANY ties to Calgary).

Images from: sportslogos.net

I have way more things I am critical of in these uniforms than I do things I like about these uniforms (but some of them are really just general criticisms of CHL uniforms). I am just going to persent these in point form, and create some guidelines for my redesign based on these observations.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

GENERAL CRITICISM OF CHL JERSEYS:

-too "cookie cutter." All WHL jerseys are pretty modern looking, and basically based off crappy modern Reebok EDGE templates.

-too many patches. WHL, CHL, REEBOK x2 (with shoulder patches, captain's letter, and numbers this is TOO CROWDED)

CRITICISM OF GIANTS JERSEYS:

-too modernist. You can tell these jerseys and logos were designed near the turn of the new millennium. The colour scheme is mainly black and silver... this is so overdone (black for black's sake, and the phenomenon in the late 90's, early 00's of excessive use of silver).

-the shoulder patches are BORING. what does a flying maple leaf have to do with a Giant anyway?


WHAT I LIKE:

I like the Lumberjack motif, and how it ties in to the Canucks identity. That's about it.


GUIDELINES FOR BY REDESIGN:

Use the Lumberjack motif.

Don't use black or silver in the main uniforms/logos.

Make the sweaters less crowded (I know this will deviate from the current CHL format, but I can wish, right?)

Use a unique jersey template design.

Use a classic striping pattern.

Try to come up with a new shoulder patch.


SO, Based off my guidelines this is what I have come up with so far.

Here is the colour scheme I have come up with (I have included the RGB colour settings in case any of y'all want to send a concept in... hint, hint)

Here are the Logos I presented last week with the updated colour scheme. I have also made a version of the logo without the overhead wordmark, similar to the logo used on the Giants alternate uniform.

As always, I would love to hear your feedback, and if you have any concept ideas for the Giants, feel free to send them along.

Introduction, and a sneak peek of where I'm going with the redesign.

Hello faithful readers. I'm back

As mentioned on the weekend, for my next major brand overhaul project, I am taking on the WHL's Vancouver Giants. I am not a huge giants fan, but do get out to a game or two every season. It's cheap, and good hockey... "Hockey with Heart" as the Giants put it. I remember the Giants' inaugural season... it wasn't too long ago, only 2001. Not much has changed for the Giants since their inaugural season (aside from the revolving door of players, which is typical in major junior hockey). The Giant's have enjoyed a very successful history thus far.

They have only missed the playoffs once (in their first year).

They won their division from the 2005-06 season up until the 2009-10 season (5 years in a row).

They have been to the Memorial cup twice (hosted in 2006, after qualifying by being WHL playoff champions as well, AND won in 2007)

This year however, the Giants have started of POORLY... they are currently a league worst 7-17-0.

Not much has changed from a design perspective either. They still use their original logo, and have not established a signature look with their sweaters (this seems to be difficult in major junior hockey, as most of the teams wear Reebok "cookie-cutter" jerseys).

I think it is time for a GIANT overhaul (you should probably get used to this pun...looks like I will be using it a lot), to reflect a new era in the team's history... and hopefully use a new uniform to inspire a new team to greatness.

Here is a sneak peek of where I'm going. I am, for the most part, keeping the logos, but changing the colour scheme. instead of a 90's modernist colour scheme which features black and silver. I tried to create a loo which reflects the lumberjack motif in the logos, using browns, vintage white, and red. These logos will be tweaked slightly, but here is what they look like right now. Hope you enjoy them, and as always I would love to hear some feedback.

A "Giant" Update

hey guys, I'm still alive. For the past few months I have been blogging over at HJC. Lately I have been really uninspired to make NHL concepts, simply because they aren't playing right now. I do want to keep making some concepts, and do a bit of work here at SOAC, but this time instead of doing Canucks concepts I will eb focussing on the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Look for that in the next few weeks. Thanks for still stopping by this blog even though I rarely update it... hopefully with this Giants project that will change a bit.