Changing logos is nothing new in the world of minor league baseball. And in more recent times, neither is pushing the creativity envelope.
Unless you've made a trek to the great northwest of America, you may not understand why in the world any professional sports team would take on the logo of a Sasquatch while still keeping a name like the Emeralds. Eugene, like much of the great state of Oregon, is a "different" type of town, known for being a bit more "hippy" than most heavily populated cities in America. That is apparently the motivation behind the new logo, according to Jason Klein of Brandiose, the company hired to create the new branding.
"Eugene is a hotbed of countercultural ideas. From Sasquatch sightings to hippy culture, the Ems are honoring Eugene's eccentricities with a few of their own." – from the Emeralds official website
In an email to Benjamin Hill of Ben's Biz Blog, Emeralds GM Allan Benavides reiterates this point.
"We’re the Emeralds because of the lush emerald green environment that is Eugene and what lives in the Northwest forest? Ultimately, we felt Sasquatch was the best fit to represent the mystique of the Northwest."
Relating a logo and brand to a team's surroundings is essential in today's minor league business world and the Emeralds have strove to take their branding one step further with this new look (not unlike their city-mates constantly do at the University of Oregon). While emerald green is still a primary color, the Ems — as they are lovingly called — become the first minor league baseball team to include neon green as a primary color.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think of the Eugene Emeralds new Sasquatch logo?
