I've recently been interested in athlete branding and decided to try my hand at it. It's something I have really enjoyed thinking about and executing on. 

 

Andrew Wiggins is a young up and coming NBA player, selected number one by the Cleveland Cavs and then recently traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade that included Kevin Love. Wiggins has been often referred to as the next Lebron James and has been considered a basketball prodigy. Wiggins is raw but extremely talented and his athleticism has been lauded by coaches and fans alike. 

The Hype surrounding Wiggins and his future has been an interesting thing to watch. Despite the criticism and pressure Wiggins seems to respond by rising to the challenges. I liked the idea of "Own the Hype" as a sort of mantra or tagline for Wiggins rookie year.

 

I wanted to create an identity that spoke to both his game and his potential. The Lebron James identity created by Nike's Darrin Crescenzi really captured Lebron and his game. It has a sense of strength and power. For Wiggins I wanted to communicate athleticism and movement, both in the sense of speed as well as potential. Because Wiggins was traded to the Timberwolves I incorporated the pointed serifs and the Timberwolves colors into the identity. The letters "A" and "W" worked well together in a striking and simple, yet versatile mark.

 

Andrew Wiggins signed a shoe deal with Adidas, but a lot of my inspiration has come from Nike and the way they handle athlete branding. 

 

So this is my take. Enjoy and leave any thoughts in the comments.