Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: While Graphic Communication spans a great number of topics, perhaps one of the most beautiful and subtle is the world of typography.Typography has been a nuanced, intricate art long before the invention of movable type or printer, and the changes it has undergone in its lifetime are both stark and fascinating.In 2012, typography is as alive and dynamic as ever.The science of creating attention grabbing display text or easy reading body copy is constantly being manipulated, creating its own localized sphere of culture and trends.This ecosystem of visual culture is very important; typography is all around us.Every advertisement, every logo, and every document -the art of typography is everywhere that words exist on a substrate or screen.Since typography is everywhere, that means we are subjected to its changing fashions and nuanced subtlety daily.Especially in the media, which is fueled by the desire to keep things "current," you can see the evolution of typography very clearly.From fashion to music, being hip and in with all trends -including typography -is the difference between sinking and swimming.One facet of media (especially the media of the United States) that is a particularly interesting example of an aspect of typography is professional sports franchises.Dealing in billions of dollars and viewing audience, professional sports have an extremely vested interest in being current and making their teams and events attractive avenue for the entertainment of the American populace.The aesthetics of the game (in this case, the advertising game) are constantly changing, and typography is no exception. Significance of ResearchA logo, having the purpose of visually embodying an organization, is an extremely important aspect of portraying a team that is attractive as a legitimate member of its respective league while representing itself as a great option for the entertainment of its fans.The more legitimate a team's image appears, and the more fans it appeals to, the more money it can make through advertising, endorsements, merchandise, and ticket sales.This research intends to examine how trends manifest themselves in the rebrandings of sports logos of the four major US sports leagues: the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League.Specifically, this research will address changes in those leagues within the last fifteen years.This report hopes to generate new understanding of the motivations behind sports rebranding as well as give us insight into the artistic culture behind the sports themselves.Being a multi-billion dollar industry, it is essential to grasp the enterprise of visual culture in American sports.Predicting trends, or even establishing them, can lead to more effective presentation of a team to their audience -leading to more fans, more media coverage, and in turn more money from advertisers.Understanding the motivation behind these aesthetic decisions is key; this research plans to research logo changes as well as identify what motivated them, as well as evaluating the reaction of fans of the sports.Knowing these, it will be easier to establish competitive and effective logo alterations -as well as simply understanding and appreciating the aesthetic history of American sports.Key answers for questions 2 -5 are displayed and evaluated in Chapter 4.5
Author: Alan M. Jacobson
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W67028482