The Color Maize

Submitted by ChampionsofThe… on

Since Nike vs. Adidas is a major topic on this blog, especially the shade of maize that each company uses, I decided that I would look into the actual shade of maize and see which company uses the correct shade.   In the pictures below, you will see all the shades of yellow (maize is on the far right, second row down).


Maize is a lighter yellow that obviously resembles the color of common corn.  In this next picture, you see the shade of maize that each company uses.

In my opinion, Adidas uses the correct shade of maize.  Nike uses more of a sunglow, jonquil, or amber shade (when compared to the 1st picture), and adidas' use of a lighter color is closer to the correct shade of maize.  Although it isn't perfect, it is closer to the correct shade than Nike's "maize."

Tell me your input on the colors used by each company

Yo_Blue

June 17th, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^

Adidas can't use the color Maize - it was copyrighted by Nike.  They made a new color called Sun.

Per the Michigan Daily:  story link

Nike also copyrighted the color “Maize,” so Adidas actually had to make a new version of our school color, now known as “Sun” (which the volleyball team has affectionately dubbed the “highlighter” jerseys). While the switch has become progressively easier throughout the past two years, it’s come with growing pains.

rambouhh

June 17th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^

But you can copyright the name of the color in the way it is applied. Adidas could use nike's maize but they would not be able to put the word maize or say maize and blue on anything, so in a way it was copyrighted.

Cali Wolverine

June 17th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^

Michigan blog, and we're talking about colors. I mean, we're sitting here talking about colors, not a new 5 star commit, not a new 5 star commit, not a new 5 star commit, but we're talking about colors. Not the recruits that I go out there and follow and watch every hudl play like it's the last, but we're talking about colors man. How silly is that?

mb121wl

June 17th, 2015 at 11:15 PM ^

Years ago I was sitting at dinner with an OSU athletic department employee.  We got to talking about colors (e.g., why OSU's colors seem to be scarlet, gray, silver, white black, green, and brown).  He said kids respond to colors.  You remember the first time you saw Michigan Maize and Blue?  That maize just popped off the unis.  Nobody else wears our combination of colors.  It's as distinctive as the winged helmet.  It's what distingishes us from the Cal's and West Virginia's of the world--teams that wear Nike "maize."  Get the colors right--everywhere:  on unis, websites, licensed merchandise, etc.

The Mad Hatter

June 17th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^

a thoughtful response to your question.  And then I read your comment about highlighter yellow being a superior color to maize.  As it is now obvious that you are completely lacking in taste, class, and most likely intelligence, I'll not be responding to your post.

Also, we've done this thread like 20 times already.

814 East U

June 17th, 2015 at 3:42 PM ^

Let me get this over with now...

1. Russel athletic/jokes about 50 companies

2. Nike owns maize/no they don't (you can't own a color crowd v. you can in some respect i.e. Tiffany Blue)

3. We played better with the Nike Maize (Insert picture of 2006-2007 M maize aka the same color Adidas uses)

4. Personal preferences of Nike/UA/Adidas (add in talks of potential contract numbers)

Wolverine Devotee

June 17th, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^

Yeah, but even that has inconsistencies.

The official Block M logo on MGoBlue and the logos across the internet all have #FFD90F. 

The shade the University says is the official Maize is darker as it is #FFCB05.

As someone who has to enter hex/RGB codes all the time, I've noticed it quite often. I still have all the Maize in the SuperGuides as #FFF200 aka 'adidas Maize' until an official decision is made on the apparel. Re-coloring is gonna be a bitch.