RESEARCH
dissertation research
To start the process of developing the brand for the Las Vegas Enforcers it was necessary to read the design brief and research the city of Las Vegas and its history. The city considers itself the number one entertainment destination in the world. Although, the tagline on their website reads “Discover Las Vegas” most people know it as “Sin City” because of all the adult entertainment options available (Exodus Admin, 2021; Las Vegas Nevada Government, 2022). The city of Las Vegas has a very rich history. Started in 1905 as a railroad have the city changed in 1931 when the first gambling license was issued and divorce laws were liberalized (Las Vegas Nevada Government, 2022).
Color palette
The color palette for the Las Vegas and forces brand evolved. Initially, the colors were based on the red, blue, and yellow used in NHL hockey rinks. This color palette did not reflect the voice and Tone of the Las Vegas Enforcers. Using the Adobe color wheel online, different Color combinations were experimented with (Adobe, 2022). Variations of green, purple, Blue, and orange were tried. It was not until looking at the sign for fabulous Las Vegas Nevada that the idea of the red Orange and light blue was decided on. Using blue as a foundational color appeals to more individuals and gives the Enforcers a sense of being trustworthy (Cherry, The color blue: Meaning and color psychology, 2022), while the orange is energetic and fun (Cherry, The color psychology of orange, 2021).
Under the authority of the gangster Bugsy Siegel the city became a den of iniquity (Las Vegas Nevada Government, 2022). In 1941 after the building of the military base the seedier establishments were shut down, but the gambling stayed. This is when the most iconic vision of Las Vegas was realized, and the voice and tone started to take shape.
Initial logo design started with the historical mobster aspect of Las Vegas (Las Vegas Nevada Government, 2022). Several renditions that included a stylized mobster based on Frank Sinatra, as well as playing cards. Research into current trends in logo design prompted a reevaluation (Cass, 2022).
Typography
Choosing typography revolved around understanding what the font would be required to do. Saltz ( (2014) explained that choosing a font family that has many different typefaces allows for continuity across the brand, which led to the font family Mesmerize. With many variations, such as expanded, condensed, bold and black, using it across all the brand components. The choice of Tiza as an alternate font was because it is a contrast point, in its distressed form, to the sharp angles of Mesmerize. Additionally, the typeface is a serif font which gives it a sense of stability (Kramer, 2021).
The other font, quicksilver, was chosen as a special font because of its use in the logo, and the fact that repetition is another way to ensure that the brands voice is carried across all brand assets (Jirousek, 2014). Krysinski (02: Letters and their characteristics, 2017) explains the letter and how it can be used as a form. This is seen in the use of negative space to make the ‘E’ in the logo. Her views on Typographic hierarchy influenced the application of using size and font to separate important words or phrases as well (Krysinski, 07: Typographic Hierarchy, 2017).
Logo development
The color palette and logo design evolved together. The initial logo design started with the idea of the gambling and the gangsters as well as the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. A version of the logo using a gangster and another using playing cards was developed. Each of these were eliminated due to a lack of contrast and being overly complex. Both Cass (2022) and Musienko (2022) agree that one of the biggest trends for logo design is to simplify. This led to the star logo development. At this point, research into typography started, as the logo needed to convey excitement and aggression.
Final Logo design with motion graphics
Research into logo rebrands gave a good example of what works and what does not (Burton, 2019). The research for the logo included the semiotics of the shape of the star and that involving line usage and balance (Dailey, 2022) (Jirousek, 2014). It started out with an eight-sided star radiating out from the center of the ‘O’ with a space bisecting it but evolved into a simpler shape, although twelve sided, with an angle cutting into the wordmark. Messaki (2020) explains how to use balance in design such as hue. The logos star is large but is evened out by the blue of the rest of the logo.
The logo was then used for a motion graphic. Goldstein(2022) and Dooley (2021) both agree that it is imperative that a brand have a sonic logo. This led to the compilation of sound applied to the motion graphic. Linked In learning provided many of the courses needed to put together a solid brand but also how to use and utilize many of the programs that pull all of this together.
Brand differentiation
The final part is in the differentiation from other brands. Deshler (2019) explained the need to research competitors to look for ways to set a brand apart. researching the actual teams that are a part of the ECHL it was noted that most of the logos have a cartoon quality, whereas NHL teams look more professional (ECHL, 2022; NHL, 2022). To differentiate The design work is more attuned to the NHL teams, cleaner and more sophisticated while giving the impression of excitement.
References
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Burton, T. (2019). The impact of a sports team’s brand. Retrieved from Upper Hand: https://upperhand.com/recent-sports-team-rebranding-winners-losers/
Cass, J. (2022). Top 10 logo design trends for 2022. Retrieved from Just Creative: https://justcreative.com/logo-design-trends-2022/
Census Bureau. (2022). Quick Facts: Las Vegas City Nevada. Retrieved from U.S. Census: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/lasvegascitynevada
Cherry, K. (2021). The color psychology of orange. Retrieved from Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-orange-2795818
Cherry, K. (2022). The color blue: Meaning and color psychology. Retrieved from Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-blue-2795815
Dailey, B. (2022). Shapes: Semiotics + symbolism. Retrieved from Brad Dailey: https://www.braddailey.com/shapes-semiotics-and-symbolism
Deshler, R. (2019, July). Brand differentiation: How to design your organization to stand out from the competition. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/10/brand-differentiation-how-to-design-your-organization-to-stand-out-from-the-competition/?sh=36b753e942bd
Dooley, R. (2021). Sonic Branding: Why Every Brand Needs It Today. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2021/05/31/sonic-branding-why-every-brand-needs-it-today/?sh=7b9d77b12311
ECHL. (2022). Home Page. Retrieved from ECHL: https://www.echl.com/#tab_statistics-players-leaders=forwards&tab_standings-groups-leaders-conference-eastern=north&tab_standings-groups-leaders-conference-western=central&tab_standings-groups-leaders=eastern
Exodus Admin. (2021). Why is Las Vegas called Sin City. Retrieved from Exodus Festival Las Vegas Blog: https://exoduslasvegas.com/blog/why-vegas-known-as-sin-city/
Goldstein, K. (2022). Sonic Branding: What Is It and How It Can Speak Volumes for Your Brand. Retrieved from WIX Blog: https://www.wix.com/blog/2022/05/sonic-branding/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12188669214%5E114296906861&experiment_id=%5E%5E530595868224%5E%5E_DSA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtvqVBhCVARIsAFUxcRv6UuIvQ3iNZf0Lqht_STMNc9XXBgb5w6epEC0UJVyixSRaDyfAy3saAg6N
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Las Vegas Nevada Government. (2022). History. Retrieved from Las Vegas Nevada: https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Residents/History
Messaki, E. (2020). Balance in composition: How to balance design? Retrieved from Medium: https://medium.com/outcrowd/balance-in-composition-how-to-balance-design-185afda003d7
Musienko, Y. (2022). Branding and logo design trends for 2022. Retrieved from Merehead: https://merehead.com/blog/10-logo-design-trends-2022/
NHL. (2022). Vegas Golden Knights. Retrieved from NHL: https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights
Saltz, I. (2014). Typography: Choosing and combining typefaces. Retrieved from Linked In Learning: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/typography-choosing-and-combining-typefaces/welcome?u=50813145