Design, Layout, Art Direction
The Apple Valley Eagles Youth Hockey Association prides itself in their programs which enable all youth to play hockey regardless of experience level or family income. The goals of this project included creating a new approach to their yearly recruiting campaign which would get kids excited to join the team and let parents know that hockey is safe and affordable.
The team's identity is well established already. I integrated the eagle and AV logo (designed by Jeff Ess of Design by Gestalt) from their existing branding into the new designs to generate excitement while maintaining unity with their identity. I created the Eagles Hockey mask graphic to be be used throughout the campaign with the goal of keeping the mailers from being thrown away and reaching additional viewers by giving the audience something they would want to display.
I also introduced a new, more athletic wordmark, utilizing their existing "AV" logo. The gold and black was allowed to really shine throughout the campaign, while the more subdued brown was de-emphasized, giving all of the pieces a clean and modern look.
I used the word "Soar" throughout the campaign as a means of conveying the full skillset introduced within the program—responsibility, focus, strength, confidence, leadership and teamwork—communicating the way each child would rise above the challenge of hockey in a single word. The Hockey Mask graphic was used in childrens' t-shirts and banners to enhance the camaraderie among the team members and the entire hockey family.
