OT: Idea for New Big Ten Logo
I had an idea for the new Big Ten Logo. I even made a sample of it, but have no idea how to insert the picture (I've tried multiple times, but am acting like I'm from Oiho). Anyway, my execution of the idea wasn't that great. The idea was to hide the 12 in the top part of the B. I was hoping that someone who has some time on there hands (or someone who needs to distract themselves from being productive) could run with this idea to creat a cool Big Ten Logo. Or if anyone had some cool ideas of their own, they could show what they might do.
Pics or it didn't happen. Oh wait...
But really, I'd love to see it. I'm not 100% sure on how to upload pics, but I think you can check the topics on MGoBoard and they'll tell you how
When I was thinking about it a few weeks ago, my idea was to have BigTen and the G in some way cleverly represents a 2. I have no idea how to implement it since I have no idea how a G would look like a 2, I'm sure the artist the Big Ten hires will do a good job though.
Upload/post the file on a place like flickr or facebook, then take the URL of the photo (right click, copy image location) and throw it in this WYSIWYG editor* by clicking the last icon to the right (just to the right of the globe/link icon.)
*This is the text box you type in. WYSIWYG= What You See Is What You Get. It basically allows you to format, embed images etc without knowing html.
What I was imagining was not for the 12 to occupy the negative space, but to actually be the top part of the B. How I did this was just push the 1 and 2 close together and put them on top of a D shape. Again, sorry I don't have the image. Now that I know how to do it, I will try to put the image on the web tonight so I can upload it to the post. Hopefully my explanation of the design makes some sense.
Even without the serifs of the 1s being carved out of the G and T, the 11 is still too prominent. It's one of those "things you can't unsee." They'll need to do something about that.
I've read the useful stuff tab, and Brian linked to someone who gave a nice tutorial on adding graphics to your posts, however, even with this I was unable to do anything with it. I was really hoping it was just a copy paste or just upload the file situation.
Anyway, like I said, the execution was passable at best and was more meant to get someone to get the idea of what I meant, roll with it and make it real cool looking. Once they reposted it, I could say "that's what I really meant", take all the credit for their work, and sell the design to Delaney so I can finally buy one of the sky boxes they still have left.
MGoBlog doesn't provide image hosting (except for your avatar.)
Your image needs to reside somewhere on the web, and when you pull in an image on these threads, you're really referencing a file's "location" on the web. As a result, you need to upload the file to another site (e.g. flickr, photobucket, or other similar site) From that point all you'd have to do is:
1. Right click the image, and select 'Copy Image Location'
2. Go to Mgoblog, and in the text box, click the image icon (near the globe/link icon) and copy the URL there. It's pretty quick and easy. Once you've actually uploaded the image online, it becomes a copy/paste job.
I'll try to upload the picture tonight.
If we'll get a brand new design altogether. This widely circulating belief that the conference will just constantly retro-fit the current number into the design depending on the current team count is not set in stone. It's obviously been done once before, but to do it again would probably be redundant, uninspired, and predictable... not to mention difficult as a designer. It also stifles the design in terms of extendability and the future. I can't imagine having to be the designer being asked to fit a potential future '14' into the Big Ten logo, especially after the public's already watched someone find a way to get the 12 and 13 in there. Old hat, been there, done that, etc. What else have ya got?
The Big Ten's been around for a long time, longer than the current logo. Why not depart from it altogether and launch and exciting new brand doesn't rely on the hidden logo design, as clever as it was? It's also perfect timing for a revitalization, with the network channel, the conference expansion and realignment, and the current climate of change surrounding the sport altogether. If I had to put money on it, I'd probably expect to see a departure of the old mark and something totally different.
Agreed, changing the logo is like kicking the can further down the road. The real solution is changing the brand itself. What would that brand name be though? Talk about a challenge.
And it's gonna take some cash flow in the marketing effort to get that new brand (logo or proprietary name) into everyone's heads, and to forget about the old one.
But it is possible-- the key is to first expose the new logo in everyone's heads, then simply put the mark out there to constantly keep forcing people's brains to 'recall' that new image or name and connect it with their emotional association with the product. Look at Pepsi-- ever wonder why you still see all of those billboards that only feature the word "GOOD" with the new logo in the O's?? They're assuming that we've all seen the logo already, and now every time you drive past that billboard your brain recognizes or 'recalls' that graphic to mean Pepsi. Sooner or later the repetition of that process will overpower the 'recall' you had built up with the old logo, and before long none of us will remember what the old one looked like.
The Big Ten can do this if they want to, but they'll have to spend some money, AND work very hard to eliminate the old one from active use as quickly as possible. And it won't come cheap.
Right, and I didn't even think about the fact that not only is there the Conference that potentially needs to be re-branded, but you also now have a network to rebrand too!.
The thought of rebranding a network as well for some reason reminds me of one of my least favorite marketing campaigns: Cingular/AT&T campaign. I'm still confused as to what they were trying to say (sort of.)
The brand has been around long enough that it's no longer "ten teams". I don't think it will change. It has lasted with Penn State. The cute logo change wasn't what preserved the Big Ten brand, the identity of the Big Ten brand is what preserved it.
It's interesting to note that the only articles I could find discussing it all come from Nebraska. And this article states what I believe, and that it isn't going to change.
Will Big Ten Change It's Name?
no, the name stays.
How about something as simple as this: Instead of focussing on the 12 (or 13 or 14, etc.) simply have a concept of Big Ten +
The "plus" implies that we are more than 10 regardless of how much plus we are. Could also be expanded from a marketing perspective to be about what a Plus the conference is....we are academics plus sports plus social change plus people, etc. (instead of big life, big stage, big ten).
Graphically, you could simply take the existing logo and make the capital "T" a lower case "t" and extend the top of the "t" to make a pseudo plus in the middle of the logo (read Big Ten words, see the plus in the middle)
Big North
they wouldn't simply do this:
Edit: Below I played with the idea someone had of making a 2 look like a "G." I don't love it as a conference logo, but the concept is doable...
I've seen elsewhere, right after the announcement of the addition of Nebraska, like your first example-the 12 hidden like the 11 currently is now. Probably depends on how quickly (if) they decide to expand further.
I posted this design back in December:
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/big-10-amplify-its-search-12th-member?page=2#comment-317011
And it seems to me that the Big Ten is pretty happy at 12 barring any strange new developments.
One dollar says the logo doesn't change.
I'll take that bet. The designer of the current hidden-11 logo provided the Big Ten with versions for 12, 13... you can find them online (or at least reasonable facsimiles). He said it only seemed practical to him, but at that time the conference heads thought it was pretty funny. Evidently they had no plans to expand beyond 11 any time soon. I don't think the name will change, though. Why would they keep the logo exactly the same when it has the 11 in it? Either they'll replace 11 with a 12 or they'll remove the hidden number and keep the logo as-is. But absolutely no change at all probably isn't an option.
There is no way it won't change. It'd make no sense to keep having a logo with an "11" in it now that we have 12 teams.
what about this?
You might have to tinker slightly with the space between the "G" and "T" though - it looks a little like 112.
I like it, but your profile pic shows WAY more creativity than your user name!