FREEMAN MAVERICKS
A NEW BRAND IDENTITY TO BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER
After 70 years, the Douglas Freeman High School was ready to change their confederacy-tied mascot: the Rebels. They came to us to create a brand identity that better reflected their community values: Family, Excellence, Pride, and Integrity. Through a collaborative and iterative process with the community, we introduced the Mavericks; a nickname that brought inclusivity and the best of the Freeman values forward.
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Intro - Solution - How it Works - Features - Reflections
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Rebrand
TYPE
CLIENT
Douglas Freeman High School
THE QUICK PITCH
Introducing
The Freeman Mavericks
The Freeman Mavericks are independent, spirited, and inspiring. Driven by the collective pursuit of excellence, the Mavs go against the status quo to champion innovation, forward-thinking, and inclusion.
Ask
Develop a new brand identity for Douglas South Freeman High School to change their 'Rebel' nickname
Some community members at Douglas South Freeman High School had been pushing for a nickname change for years. New waves of activism and national conversations about equity during the summer of 2020 gave the administration the extra push to make the change.
"No one at Freeman is included until we all are" - Former Principal
Challenge
How can we ensure that a rebrand creates an opportunity for healing and transitions an equally split student body into a new, unified group?
Although 2/3 of the student body were calling for a new nickname, there is was a contingent of the community still avidly against the change. They saw the Rebel as tradition and felt that Freeman would slip away if the nickname changed.
Survey
1000+ responses
Focus groups
Students, coaches & community members
Stakeholder Interviews
Former principal, school board member, former athletic director, school board reprepresentative
A collaborative process to understand the people behind the "Freeman brand"
We used our research to collaboratively define the Freeman values of Family, Pride, Excellence, and Integrity to see how a new nickname might bring together all four.
Our leading question: How do you define the Freeman values?
Approach
Key Finding
The Rebel represents an opposition of two Freeman values: intensity and family.
Some feared that losing the Rebel would mean losing Freeman's intensity, grit, and independent spirit.
For others, 'Rebel''s history can't be reconciled with Freeman's value of family.
Impact
The Mavs out in the world
Mavericks adapted quickly into "Mavs", "Marching Mavericks", and "Freeman: Home of the Mavericks."
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Our definitions of the Freeman values
Mavericks: Speaking to the Freeman Values
This logo gives a nod to the drive of the maverick - directional and pointed. The strong M shape is immediate while the illusionary F makes this mark a pillar of individuality for Freeman and Freeman only.
Family: A collective identity
Intensity: Maintains independent spirit
Pride: A unique identity with the 'illusionary F'
Excellence: Directional, pointed, forward-thinking
Meet the team!
A rockstar Account Manager-Strategy hybrid for this project. She was the point person for all of our presentations and even gave one for our Friday Forum and to our Board!
With an equal eye for aesthetics and organization, she both kept our work back plan and masterfully crafted our client pitch deck.
Hunter Mott, ST;
His passion for a topic can light up a room, so since sports were involved, he was bringing energy 100% of the time.
Hannah Berling, AD;
The lovely art direction you see here is all from Hannah! She is beyond talented and was able to get her logo and identity produced for this project!
Hamza Ali, AD;
Hamza is an art director with so many skills but I am personally a massive fan of his illustrations:)
Matt Cavallo, AD:
Another Friday Forum presenter and incredibly talented art director, Matt is a wildly skilled designer and even brews his own beer!
Joe Mrava, AD:
There just simply isn't enough space to gush about Joe. His forte - experience design - doesn't pop up a ton in this case study, so please go to his site to learn more about this talented designer.
Collective Identity
Ability to live on its own, but stronger as a group
"It gives you a sense of being a part of something bigger. You are a team, not just a collective of individuals"
- Current Student
Enduring Connection
All Freeman community members can identify with the nickname
"Needs to live in the bricks of the school"
- Principal
Purposeful Movement
Symbolize the act of moving forward with intent
"Freeman is not about the status quo, it's about continual growth, constantly improving and becoming better, that is what we are very proud of"
- Current Teacher
Retain a Rebellious Edge
Toughness, strength, and grittiness
"
It's badass. It stands for toughness and strength and the students want to represent that."
-Current Student
Unique & Timeless
A name that will stay relevant and significant through the test of time
"We are established, worn, and polished all at the same time"
Naming Criteria
We created five pillars of consideration to guide ideation and ensure that the new identity will connect to our newly redefined Freeman values.
IDEATION PROCESS
OPPORTUNITY
Retain the Spirit
The independent spirit and idea of going against the status quo can exist in a more inclusive identity that considers all of its values and the entire Freeman Family.