Case Study TB01
ANNAPOLIS BLUES FC
League
National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)
Service
Full Branding Launch - Community Choice Campaign
Location
Annapolis, MD
Year
2022-23
The Ask
The ownership of Annapolis requested a number of engaging brands the community and surrounding areas could vote upon based on their preferences. They wanted each to be Northeast-centric (for sure a real word, not one we made up), evoking the spirit of the city, region and beyond. The client also requested an additional “temp” brand to use for the campaign itself.
The Voting Brands
During any branding campaign, an open dialogue with the client is crucial. Through phone calls and Zoom brainstorming sessions, ownership settled on four brands for the vote launch. Annapolis is home to the United States Naval Academy, so two of the four brands reflect that. Being on the coast leans itself to an overall sea theme as well, so the other two lean into that.
Seawolves
Named after the elite Navy helicopter squadron HA(L)-3 during Vietnam, the Seawolves name evokes strength and honor. The main icon is a nod both to the original HA(L)-3 patch, which features a fire-breathing wolf holding a shield and trident, and English football clubs. The Seawolf is holding a Navy Seals-style trident, with an “Annapolis A” anchor at the bottom. Its tail is curled in like waves, and Annapolis is flanked by two Champions League-style soccer balls.
Yard
The United States Naval Academy is known as “The Yard,” a nod to the shipyards that constructed our seafaring vessels. The main icon is an anchor in the shape of an A, with a Champions League-style ball as its eye. The bursts filling the negative space represents pride, community and excitement. The frayed ropes flanking each side are meant to represent that once a ship is built, it is meant to head to sea and not tied to the dock.
Kraken
The Kraken is is a fearsome mythological creature that rises from the deepest depths of the sea when called upon to protect its caller and destroy anything in its way. Here, our Kraken’s arms are wrapped protectively around the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, a staple of coastal Annapolis. Two of its arms also form the bookends of “Kraken.”
Blues
You won’t find many places that have better blue crab than Maryland. It’s a staple in local cuisine, and a large part of the region’s identity. The overall crest is a nod to the simple fish market stamps and labels in its shape and overall look. To further that reference, city and state were added below the main icon. The crab here is holding our favorite soccer ball, ready to throw in and score a goal.
The Campaign
To prep for the announcement of the voting campaign, we created a general word mark to use. The client loved the anchor A, so we used it to lead off Annapolis. This was used in social media graphics and was also made as a t-shirt. It was well received and got the community hyped up.
The client requested some campaign launch graphics, so we swooped in created a few different versions for them to use at their convenience.
We also put together some t-shirt designs for them, which they sold at events.
The voting campaign was wildly successful. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, so here it is straight from annapolisblues.com: “On August 16, 2022; we announced Annapolis Blues FC as the name of your new Annapolis Soccer Team. Thanks to over 1,200 Annapolis soccer supporters and local soccer fans who voted during our "Naptown, name your soccer club!" campaign … While all four received lots of votes, Annapolis Blues won by a Nautical Mile.”
Below is the hype video we made for the winner announcement:
The Response
The response to the branding was overwhelmingly possible. The club asserts that merchandise and season seat sales were astronomical before the team even took the pitch. Though many chimed in with praise, one stood out to us early on. Jason Davis, a staple in soccer podcasts for well over a decade and host on SiriusXM, tweeted one of the best overall comments we received.
As for the club itself, Annapolis Blues FC broke the National Regular Season NPSL Attendance Record during their inaugural season at 8,368 fans. They went on to win the Mid-Atlantic regular season, then set an NPSL Conference Championship Attendance Record for the Mid-Atlantic Conference Final with 8,480 fans. Oh, and they won that, too.
By the Numbers
From launch through their first season (as of Aug. 2023), Annapolis Blues FC has sold:
$171K
in Merchandise Sales
$371K
in Season Seats
Extras
We couldn’t leave you hanging without showing you some other cool stuff we did for Annapolis. Below you’ll find early sketches, treatments and logos, as well as some extra goodies from the inaugural season.
A couple of t-shirt designs we did. Yes, that one is a riff of West Ham’s crest. Mallets instead of hammers.
We built their sponsorship deck as well.
To announce the kit sponsors, they asked us to create a fun video.