NBA Logo Redesign: Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1968. The franchise has won 1 NBA Championship in 1971 led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. Currently they are an up and coming team with some promising young players including Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo.
I’ve personally grown up with this team in Wisconsin from the mid-90s and never gravitated towards any of their visual brand language the past 30 years. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy the playfulness of their first logo and the nostalgic value it brings - I feel it has more ties to the industrial city of Milwaukee and makes for a much more memorable brand identity. For this project I plan to redesign a scheme that brings out the likeness of Milwaukee and creates a more tasteful and holistic system. Fear the Deer!
Current Branding Scheme
Primary Logo
My $0.02: I think that this logo leaves a lot to be desired. Visually I think this logo lacks holistic harmony and character.
Lack of harmony comes from the knife-like angles of the buck that don’t harmonize with the rounded antler details. Also, the bloated heaviness of the deer doesn’t seem to jive with the spindly outer rings. IMO the extreme levels of symmetry also make this logo static. Deer are inherently dynamic and mobile - unlike this buck representation.
I feel the deer’s eyes are too high on the head on the logo (left image). In the right image I lowered the eyes a bit to be a bit more proportional and realistic - I find this subtle change looks more appealing and adds to a more aggressive appearance.
Secondary Logo
My $0.02: IMO this mark visually is more cohesive than the primary, but still lacks visual hierarchy and not easily identifiable.
When I look at this mark I’m unsure what I should be looking at first, second, third and so forth. The inconsistency of uniformly stroked line-work in combination with heavily tapered line-work creates a clashing motif. I think the dense green ring on the outside also takes away from the basketball from the center - and I believe the only value the thick ring brings is to be a contrast creator for the type. I also think that the “EST. 1968” is far too large and competes with the primary focus: the ball/”BUCKS BASKETBALL”.
Tertiary Logo
My $0.02: This tertiary logo falls flat. Rarely should a logo introduce something new in their tertiary mark.
The blue seems to be carelessly placed around the exterior of the state and doesn’t line up closely where the water regions are located. I also think that the hastily pen-tooled/ faceted state is low hanging fruit that lacks in cleverness.
Milwaukee’s History
Before embarking on making a new visual brand language for the Milwaukee Bucks, I think it was important to understand the roots of the city. There was a time, not long ago, when Milwaukee factories made many of America’s most iconic products: leather saddles, tractors, motors and, of course, beer. Understanding that Milwaukee was founded on a rich history of industry and blue collar business, helps to shape a visual representation of the city to carry to the design process. Below are a couple images depicting Milwaukee’s blue collar industry.
Harley-Davidson motorcycle began in Milwaukee in 1903. In Milwaukee, Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson developed a one-cylinder motorcycle. Harley-Davidson still resides in Milwaukee and is the main sponsor of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pabst brewery, whose oldest known parts date before 1882 in Milwaukee, WI. The company has since sold the building, and it was reopened after a renovation as The Brewhouse Inn & Suites. Courtesy Milwaukee Public Library
The first Gallun company, which made leather boots, saddles and harnesses for Civil War soldiers, was founded in 1858 by two German immigrants to Milwaukee. Gallun restructured his company in 1884 and renamed it A. F. Gallun & Sons. Courtesy Milwaukee Public Library
Allis Chalmers made a variety of heavy machinery, but it specialized in agricultural equipment. The Allis Chalmers Company was one of Wisconsin’s largest private employers during the years around World War II. Its main production facilities were located in the West Allis section of Milwaukee. Image Courtesy of Frank Shansky
The Bucks’ Beginning
There are several prominent players in Bucks history, but none as dominant as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and six-time NBA champion (even though he only earned this honor once with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1970-71 season) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The living legend averaged over 30 points and 15 rebounds per game when he played in Wisconsin, which is above his career averages of almost 25 points and over 11 rebounds per game.
Many successful teams have over the decades (think Oscar Robertson, Sidney Moncrief, Ray Allen, Michael Redd to name a few) but for this exercise I’m peering into the past to focus on an era where tradition was valued and paying homage to the original look of the franchise.
Milwaukee Bucks 1968 debut roster. Back Row: Trainer Arnie Garber, Guy Rodgers, Sam Williams, Greg Smith, Jon McGlocklin, Flynn Robinson, Head Coach Larry Costello. Front Row: Rich Niemann, Dick Cunningham, Wayne Embry, Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Lenny Chappell.
The day after the Bucks’ first game (Loss to Bulls) on Oct. 16, 1968.
1969-70 Rookie Kareem Abdul Jabbar / Lew Alcindor of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Wilt Chamberlain Lakers.
