fan-favorite contest entry

Following the 2016 World Series, Cleveland SCENE ran a “Redesign The Tribe” contest, inspired by the general landscape shift around Native American sports branding (and, specifically, the frequent protests at prominent Cleveland baseball games in the preceding years.)

Entrants were asked to submit comprehensive brand solutions, including name, logo, color scheme, and uniform concepts.

“The “download” link at left contains my revised submission, following the team’s announcement that the name would be changing (to something) but the original brand package (and polling results) can be seen here.

The impact of my concept is undeniable — I received 23% more votes than the next-most-popular of the semifinalists, and was the resounding favorite among SCENE staffers in the finals. When I resurfaced the revised design in 2020, it was met with a wave of fan support (and media coverage) that was eventually cited by the team as a key factor in their ultimate decision to make “Cleveland Guardians Baseball” a reality. 

In the span of a few weeks, I not only had to build a brand from scratch, but also pitch it to a less-than-receptive Cleveland fan base that LOVED Chief Wahoo and was particularly sensitive about cancel culture in the aftermath of the 2016 election. And it worked.

Supporting efforts included grassroots social media marketing and media relations.

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