Los Angeles Clippers

When the Los Angeles Clippers rebranded in the summer of 2015, they did so to underwhelming results. The changes included dropping the traditional LOS ANGELES to refer to themselves simply as L.A., adding black to a color scheme of red and royal, and unveiling a completely new logo and script. Many panned the script as uninspired and a reflection of the owner Steve Ballmer’s previous experience with Microsoft, especially when locked up with the icon and “nautical lines” rendered in red and royal. The base icon, an LAC monogram in the proportions of a basketball court, was also heavily criticized as the simple rectangle shape did not convey the idea of a court clearly enough to resonate with fans. My concept keeps the addition of black and completely reimagines the identity. I opted for a Sailor Jerry style that reflects the tattoo culture in Los Angeles and the Clippers nautical beginnings. My primary logo starts with a Ship Wheel-C containing a basketball and flanks it with a Sailor Jerry CLIPPERS script and a block serif LOS ANGELES. The Ship Wheel-C can also stand by itself, while the blue C also appears with a Sailor Jerry LA inside of it. The secondary mark is a basketball/ship hybrid roundel, and a red-blue-and-black anchor completes the logo set. The wordmarks feature a heavy black stroke with red and royal filled sections in a traditional tattoo style, while the numerals feature an inked typeface with a uniform stroke weight. The Icon and Association uniforms play off the tattooed style by outlining the type and striping with hints of black, while the alternate uniform features a strong black-and-white treatment akin to many of the black-and-white t-shirts seen across Southern California. The Pride uniform places the Ship Wheel-C on a royal uniform with red numerals and white side panels emblazoned with anchors. The court contains a lightly two-toned hardwood with black boundaries, red lanes, and royal in the key.