After months of anticipation, logos for the upstart Down East Wood Ducks (High A; Carolina League) have been unveiled.
Owned by the Texas Rangers, the franchise–which is joining the Carolina League as a result of the Carolina/California League realignment–announced in November that it would be named the Wood Ducks. While the Wood Ducks will play at Kinston’s Grainger Stadium, the use of Down East is a nod to the entire Down East region of North Carolina.
The unveiling of the logos, which took place in conjunction with Wednesday’s Hot Stove League Banquet, included the team’s crest and three Wood Duck logos that will be used on official club merchandise. The club also revealed its Down East Wood Ducks lettering.
Official Wood Ducks merchandise went on sale today at the club’s Grainger Stadium offices and at WoodDucksBaseball.com. Items for sale will include several t-shirts with the team crest, duck head, duck torso, and full-body duck along with two pieces of outerwear, a selection of polo shirts, and one of the on-field caps. Men’s women’s and youth styles are available. “Our whole team, alongside design agency Brandiose, worked very hard to design our logos and marks,” said Wood Ducks president Joe Januszewski. “We are thrilled with the results and look forward to seeing our team on the field in Kinston on opening day, April 10th.”
“We are excited to see fans of all ages wearing Wood Ducks gear,” commented Wood Ducks general manager Wade Howell. “We have a limited amount of items on sale starting today at woodducksbaseball.com, with new merchandise arriving weekly as we count down to our first season of Wood Ducks baseball.”
The Down East Wood Ducks brand identity is inspired by the vibrant moxie of not just the wood duck, but the entire region the team will serve. The new identity pays tribute to the region’s great outdoors by highlighting this majestic and resilient local waterfowl, while also laying the groundwork for a lively and fun experience that will be enjoyed by all fans.
The team’s color palette is comprised of hues associated with wood ducks and will most prominently feature emerald green (PMS 356C), a bright hunting orange (PMS 172C), and a vivid gold (PMS 137C). Tan (PMS 465C) and black (PMS Black C) are also included in the team’s colors.
The team’s crest introduces a tenaciously animated wood duck head surrounded by “Down East Wood Ducks” in a playful typeface stylized to represent the brand. Other iterations of the logo include a torso of the duck shown gripping a bat hewn from a rough wooden log, and a full-body duck confidently taking a swing with the same wooden bat.
The Down East Wood Ducks will release uniform designs and corresponding marks in the spring as the season draws closer.
RELATED STORIES: New for 2017: Down East Wood Ducks