Our team received a request from the Kroc Center's Aquatics Manager asking for assistance in branding and promoting the center's youth swim team. The goal of the project was to encourage more students to sign up for the team for the summer season.
I started by brainstorming possible names for the team so that we could then develop a fun and sporty icon as part of its brand. Since speed is an important part of competitive swimming, I researched the species of fish and other aquatic animals that are considered some of the fastest in the world. I also wanted the name to be "cool enough" to appeal to the key ages (8-12 year olds) so I included a mythic creature: the Kraken. To help names be catchier, I used alliterative name schemes. Names proposed included: Blazin' Barracudas, Marvelous Marlins, Kroc "Krocodiles," Kroc Krakens (Winner), and Supersonic Sailfish.
For the icon, we wanted to create an emblem shape and for the Kraken to imply movement. Below is the final icon. We used a triangle to create the emblem base and divided it with a white wave to imply water. The bright orange gives the Kraken a playful energetic tone, and the bubbles help give the impression that the creature is coming up out of the water.
To promote the newly branded team, we created both print and digital promotional pieces targeting members and guests of the Kroc Center. For both avenues, we developed a cohesive theme using nuances such as waves, bubbles and a scroll pen effect to reflect the athletic, and fun atmosphere of competitive swimming.
The example below is a double-sided flyer advertising the swim team to parents. The front (left),introduces the coach so parents can learn more about the person they would be trusting with their child, as well as basic information about the practices, meets and age requirements. The back of the flyer (right) lists the team’s meet schedule and practice times, allowing parents to plan ahead and see how the schedule fits with their own.
Above: Promotional flyer and meet schedule for the Summer 2019 season.
Below: Websliders for the homepage of the Omaha Kroc Center's website (omahakroc.org).
Below: Promotional e-blast highlighting the summer happenings for the Aquatics Department and encouraging families to join the newly christened "Kroc Krakens" swim team.
In addition to promotional materials, we also created team t-shirts and swim caps to help foster a sense of pride and team spirit in the young team members.
For the final (championship) meet of the summer, members of the Kroc Krakens swim team proudly wore their new caps as they competed against teams from the City of Omaha's recreational swim league. Below are photos I took to commemorate the meet and use for future marketing purposes.
