Boston Common Golf

 

Fast Company - "New team, new league, new design language: How Boston developed its uncommon TGL golf league identity"

"If you’re thinking, “A frog isn’t very intimidating,” that’s kind of the point. “It’s all part of how we’re trying to move a little bit away from the traditional end of golf,” says Werner, “and present something that’s a little bit more fun.”

“There’s actually a swagger to not choosing an alpha predator like a lion,” adds Isenberg. “It’s relatable in a very unisex way. As soon as we showed it to people, they said, ‘That makes me happy.’”

The amphibious character doesn’t have a name, and the ownership group doesn’t even like to call it a mascot (they prefer “animal symbol”—good luck with that), but the creative team is convinced that it strikes the right tone. It also led to a clever secondary logo featuring a golf hole flag emerging from a lily pad."

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"”The font is intended to be a modern interpretation of all the ‘entering town’ signs you see across the city and the state,” says Werner. “And we’re accentuating the word ‘Common,’ again to be more inclusive and to emphasize that this is golf for everyone.”

All these democratizing gestures are commendable, but is there any concern that the word “Common” might make the team seem a bit, well, less than exceptional?

“We realize there’s a definition of the word that reflects something just average or plain,” says Werner. “But we feel it will resonate in Boston.”

And besides, he points out, the Red Sox are named after an article of clothing, and that seems to have worked out pretty well."

Previously,
Seattle Sounders FC New Branding (Oct. 2023)