YEAR
2020-21
DESCRIPTION
One of the most prominent projects for Gordon Athletics during the past few years was the mascot refresh and Bennett Athletics Center spatial update that spanned 2020 and 21. I had the privilege of taking a big role during these updates as well as the subsequent fundraising campaign that occurred later in 2021.
MY ROLE
+ branding refresh
+ photography ideation
+ spatial design
+ campaign visual package
+ social media package
PROGRAMS
The goal that was given was simple—make the athletic brand and facilities feel refreshed and up-to-date. The stakeholders expressed some specific areas that needed a refresh (the brand and the court) but left the rest up to my team. Upon evaluation of the facilities, we determined the few areas we would like to update (as featured below).
Prior to launching into the larger-scale production projects, the Gordon Athletics brand needed a slight refresh.
A complete overhaul of the brand was not deemed necessary by stakeholders, so what I was able to do was create a mascot that doesn’t deviate too far from the original but yet gives a more updated and modern look.
PROGRAMS USED: ILLUSTRATOR
Once the updated brand was set, we were able to delve into the other more specific pieces such as the court floors, external window displays and internal pillar displays.
We wanted all of these pieces to feel fresh, so our team carved out intentional time for photography ideation and held a media day for all the athletic teams. With new photography to utilize, I was able to create brand new facility external and internal displays that reflect the brand and mission of Gordon Athletics.
PROGRAMS USED: ILLUSTRATOR, PHOTOSHOP
a closer look:
The Clash of the Tartans is an annual athletics campaign that was especially essential in 2021 after the unveiling of the new and improved brand and athletic facility. Therefore, most of of the materials used in passed campaigns needed to be refreshed to reflect the new tone of the whole program.
The website is the central piece to the whole project and would yield the highest traffic during the span of the whole two-day campaign. With that in mind, I knew that the hero image needed to not only be eye-catching but also inspiring to those we visit the page.
With several key Gordon athletes featured, I knew that what the audience needed is a personal connection to the campaign and therefore I made a very conscious effort to make sure that every single sport has featured athletes throughout the webpages.
PLATFORM: FUNRAISE
PROGRAMS USED: XD, PHOTOSHOP, ILLUSTRATOR
The competition badges helped mark key milestones throughout the campaign and also assisted and actively engaged athletes in the fundraising process. Again, the importance of having a personal connection is highlighted here through the featuring of athletes in each badge.
The social media package was an essential deliverable for this campaign. Since this was the main medium in which fundraisers will reach out to potential donors, posts and stories are included to ensure that the campaign receives maximum reach and engagement.
Posts and stories are designed to be easily reposted and featured photography of athletes to ensure high engagement.
PROGRAMS USED: PHOTOSHOP, ILLUSTRATOR
This project was a great feat of collaboration. From design to photography to production, it required a lot of careful planning and clear communication. Although there were a few hiccups (mostly pandemic-related production delays) along the way, we were able to pull off a large-scale update to the Gordon Athletics brand that ultimately received a lot of praise from the campus community once it was unveiled.