Why Rebrand
The Innova art team has been in the thick of our biggest rebranding project in 40 years. The rebrand includes a complete logo redesign, as well as an on-going release of new artwork for every disc in production in each available plastic. With over 80 molds in five different plastic types, this has been a massive undertaking.
So why rebrand? In the past few years, disc golf has seen its most rapid period of growth since the sport’s creation. With the post-pandemic disc golf boom leaving disc inventory at an all time low, we saw the perfect opportunity to refresh our look. Without a huge existing stock of discs with the old logo, the rebrand was able to roll out quickly and across more models at once. With the recent influx of new players, we wanted stamps that would appeal to everyone from beginner to veteran, and a logo that implied high-performance sports equipment.
The redesign of the main Innova logo took nearly two months from start to finish. We went for something sporty and professional that built off Innova’s existing brand identity. The Burst Logo incorporates Innova’s four-point star in a simple, easy-to-read design that pops. From a practical standpoint, we also wanted to address some problems in reproduction that were common with the old Swoosh logo. The new Innova Burst is scalable, prints well on different materials, minimizes bridging on hot stamps, and is easily recognizable.
View this post on Instagram
But the rebrand goes far beyond the main logo. Revamping every disc in each plastic type means hundreds of new stamps. We aimed to balance a clean, professional look with fun, creative artwork that will catch the eye of new players. After years of requests for more character stamps on stock molds, we obliged. We created consistent layouts for each plastic type and a consistent character theme for most disc types. (For example, all Destroyers feature the same robot in different positions; All XT discs have the same text layout.) This consistency within plastic type and disc type makes it easy to pick Innova molds off the shelf. We will be releasing new designs as they become ready until every in-production mold has been updated.
The Art Team’s Process
Critique Day – best day of the week. Everyone worked hard on their sketches, but wow… That one from Jeremy with the lightning horns is special. Maybe if we integrated the character more with the text? Could we add some lines to give it more movement?
At the art team’s critique meetings, everyone checks their egos at the door. Whether your original sketch is the design chosen or not, everyone contributes to the project at hand. Each stamp goes from concept, to sketches, to working draft, to final. The team synergistically builds off each other’s ideas to create a refined piece that is the combination of every team member’s hard work.
From logos, to different styles of character art, to text layouts, each designer has their strengths. The team’s ability to work within their areas of expertise to build a product better than any one designer could create alone makes Levi, CJ, Chris, and Jeremy the best art team in the business.
Innova’s Brand Identity
Innova creates our own designs in-house instead of outsourcing to an agency because we see the importance of preserving and fostering our brand identity. Innova was founded by world champions and Team Innova has more Open world titles than all other teams combined; that said, the roots of disc golf are in a fun, accessible game made for everyone. In our branding, we try to capture that balance. A sleek logo and clean text layouts keep our equipment looking professional; creative character artwork makes each disc unique, lively, and eye-catching. We are undergoing a rebranding, but Innova’s core values have remained the same since the company’s inception.
It’s always been from champions, but not only for champions, but for everybody.
-Levi Wilcox
