The new CCC identity was developed by Skye Design Studios (www.sdsbranding.com), a national leader in sport branding and identity design based in Florham Park, N.J.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) is pleased to reveal its new visual identity after a year-long collaboration with Skye Dillon of Skye Design Studios to give the conference an updated, more modern look. It is the first time the conference has introduced new conference marks since 2007.
"Skye Dillon is unparalleled in the identity design industry," said CCC Commissioner Gregg M. Kaye. "His work with numerous Division III conferences and institutions throughout the years has been impressive. We are grateful to Skye for not only elevating our brand, but doing so in a clever way that is reminiscent of the CCC's history, while also borrowing from several elements that our staff felt conveyed our pride in being a fixture in New England college athletics. Throughout the redesign process, Skye ensured that the process was enjoyable, progressed smoothly, and focused on our desires as a client."
Dillon, who has worked with the conference on a number of small projects since 2016, including artwork for championship t-shirts and a special logo for the inaugural season of men's ice hockey, helped bring the CCC's thoughts to life.
"I love the vision that Gregg and his team have for the trajectory of the conference. These new marks are just one part of that greater vision, and we are grateful to have played a role in bringing it to life."
ABOUT THE NEW MARKS
"Our strategy was to build upon the equity established with the original conference logo while more greatly emphasizing the moniker 'CCC' and injecting an authentic element of New England that was shared by all member institutions," said Dillon.
"Our staff presented Skye with numerous thoughts and concepts," added Kaye. "He captured every single one of them in a very simple, yet elegant, design."
The new family of marks is reminiscent of a coat of arms that features three major elements: an oval shape that prominently features the "CCC" acronym, a shield shape, and a ribbon that sits below the shield. The full logo can be deconstructed into its elements to give the league its secondary marks.
"Historically, each New England colony was represented by a distinct coat of arms, many of which are still utilized today. That same colonial spirit is evident in the camaraderie among CCC members. Likewise, our task was then to execute the coat of arms concept in a manner that was bold, athletic, and relevant to modern student-athletes."
Inspiration for the coat of arms comes from the images depicted on each of the individual New England state flags, while the curved upper edge of the emblem is a salute to the iconic white "town line" signs that greet travelers to each municipality in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which has housed the CCC's administrative headquarters since the league's incorporation.
Both the oval image and the red and blue swirls which appear in more vibrant colors than before are a nod to the CCC's previous logo which enjoyed a consistently well-received 12-year lifespan.
Additionally, the new logos allow for the integration of the sport specific icons that the conference introduced in 2017 to create a set of sport specific marks. Each sport will also have designated championship marks.
BUILDING THE BRAND
The conference also plans to use the visual rebrand as an opportunity to focus to increasing the visibility of the league and developing its identity.
Along with the new logos, the conference launched a redesign of cccathletics.com, the league's official website. In addition to a new look, a conscious decision was made to have sections dedicated to the history of the league, including past championship performances, conference awards, and historical facts about the CCC.
"The goal was to build a conference website that made it easy to access any information our membership and fans may be coming to our site to find, but also provided them with some information about the league itself," said CCC Associate Commissioner Doug Chin who oversaw the redesign. "We wanted to show that the conference is more than just a sport league. We wanted to show visitors that we have history, traditions, and values that are shared by our membership."
The rebrand also provided an opportunity for the conference to update its championship awards program. The Tournament Championship trophy will have a new design as will the medals given out at the conference's cross country and track and field championships.
However, trophy presentations are not the only time the league plans to be present on member campuses as it intends to make the rebrand a year-long celebration as the conference enters a new era. The goal is to promote the conference and its values through video and social media that features student-athletes, coaches, and other key stakeholders around the CCC.
The league office also intends to hold a "CCC Day" on each of its member campuses throughout the year to share the new look and distribute small giveaway items with the new conference marks.
The dates for the "CCC Days" will be announced at a later time.
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Click here for the official release from the CCC
(Release Courtesy of the Commonwealth Coast Conference)
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