Rice Owls NCAA Identity

Adidas and Rice University collaborated to create a new identity system for their athletics program. The new look hinged on the brand's already highly recognizable primary "R" logo, a mainstay component of the brand. We leveraged the graphic DNA of this mark to create several wordmarks and a new number system for their uniforms. Equal parts heritage and stealth, we brought unity to the Owls' brand through thoughtful design.

Client: Adidas + Rice University
Brand Identity. Uniform Prototyping.
Introductory image of an owl blending in with the bark on a tree in grayscale.
Photograph of aerial view of early wordmark iterations being discussed between colleagues.
Photograph of numerous "Rice Owls" wordmark comps.
Updated "Rice" wordmark white on navy background.
Updated "Owls" wordmark white on navy background.
Updated "Rice Owls" full wordmark white on navy background.
"Rice Owls" wordmark shown on top of gridlines. Diagram illustrating consistent spacing and geometry.
Image of ID system, including R primary, Rice Owls wordmarks, number system, and nameplate alphabet.
Previous wordmarks (shown below) failed to complement the Primary "R" logo in a way that felt modern, unique or true to the brand's history. While the wordmarks of the past served a purpose, the new wordmark serves as a much more authentic brand symbol. We preserved the angles and cutlines to emphasize the calligraphic nature of the primary R. It is clear to see how well the new lettering complements their logo when you compare them side-by-side.
Image showing three rows of wordmarks paired with primary R logo. First two rows are previous marks showing inconsistent graphic DNA. Final row is updated wordmark showing harmony between these ID assets.
Part way through the process, we created prototypes for baseball and basketball jerseys to pressure test the new indicia. We wanted to see how the wordmarks would complement the numbers as well as how the overall system would complement the new 2017 uniform designs. One of the biggest challenges was color matching the navy jersey to the ink printed by the heat transfer machine. We calibrated many different colors and CMYK values before finding the right hue. Always a curveball!
Photograph of heat-transfer machine color swatches and CYMK values.
Photograph of "Rice" wordmark and "17" numerals on a heat transfer sheet prior to transferring to garment.
Photograph of woman holding up finished baseball jersey sample utilizing new wordmark and number system.
Photograph of basketball jersey hanging up in the office utilizing new wordmark and number system.
Full "Rice Owls" wordmark overlaying navy and gray duotone image of football quarterback in action.

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