War On Logos #3: OMGBBQ
So on July 9th, I was coming home from the cinema after seeing a film with my Dad and little brother. After seeing the film and eating McDonalds, I’d just remembered that my Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate in Iowa was unveiling their new name. I was getting pretty excited, because I had been anticipating the unveiling for a few weeks.
As soon as we got home, I went to the Iowa Stars website to see if they made the changes there. For whatever reason, nothing (and for some other reason, the Iowa Stars website still remained unchanged until today even though the team changed their name). So then I went to Anaheim’s website. Again, nothing. Finally, I went to the AHL’s website, and went on the drop down list that had the team names in it. Then I saw it: Iowa Chops. For some reason, I knew instantly that this was going to be something to do with Pork Chops, and I was right.
I stared blankly for about a minute. Then I burst into laughter.
What in Lord Stanley’s name inspired them to come up with that?! Was that really the best they could do? I’ll admit, the team colours aren’t too bad, but why did they choose to name the team after a chunk of meat, and then use the animal that the chunk of meat comes from as the logo?
In the team’s announcement, they mentioned something along the lines of the name Chops having double meanings. Team owner Kirby Schlegel states: “It illustrates Iowa’s agricultural heritage while also playing into the definition of ‘chops’, having nerve, resilience and yadayadayada.” OK, so that’s pretty clever and all, but then you look around the website and you see a link to the Iowa Pork Producers Association… I think something was going on between the two organisations behind the scenes, most likely involving a large sum of money.
The logo is just, well… wrong. An angry, flabby pig’s head with sharp, canine like teeth opening his jaw up wide. Is he threatening to eat the opposition? (Even though teams like the Chicago Wolves will want to eat them instead) Or is he screaming in pain and bleeding? (Which is what the red on grey almost makes it look like) Or is he simply yawning at the lack of effort that went into this design?
Then there’s the wordmark. It’s not bad, but it looks more like something that would be used as a logo for a barbeque themed restaurant. Seems fitting since the team is named after a chunk of meat.
Another issue with this identity is that there’s another team in the league, and in the same division that uses a pig as its mascot: the Rockford Icehogs, ironically another franchise that was once also affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks (back when that AHL team was known as the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks).
Who knows, maybe they’ll scrap this idea completely and try to come up with something better (seeing as most people hate it), or the most likely option, they’ll leave it all as it is and make the fans get used to this identity package (much like the Buffalo Sabres’ infamous “Buffaslug”).
I’m Wildwing64, and I declare War On Logos.