BASEBALL BRAND EMBRACES POWER OF THE CRAB
If you’re from Maryland or know a Marylander, you’re undoubtedly aware of our obsession with the noble crab. Crabs are a part of life in Maryland - we catch them, we eat them, we put them on shirts and bumper stickers, we even write holiday songs dedicated to them (seriously, it’s up there with Dominic the Donkey in terms of animal themed Christmas songs).
Now this deification of crabs typically centers around one species in particular – Callinectes sapidus, the Chesapeake Blue Crab – and one local organization has taken it to the next level. The Bowie Baysox, a minor league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are now the Chesapeake Baysox, and yes, their logo features one of these beloved crustaceans.
Now why am I, a digital producer, writing about crab logos? Besides the already established crab obsession, there are a few reasons. First and foremost, I think it looks great. This rebrand comes to us from Baltimore-based studio Younts Design, and they knocked it out of the park (don’t excuse the pun, face it head on). The illustration is equal parts cute and fierce, as a crab should be. The infusion of additional elements like the waves of the bay and the bat/flag were handled very well. It paints a full picture without overwhelming you. It honors the old while embracing the new. In short, great work.
Secondly, on a practical level, the rebrand and the crab in particular lend themselves to countless new activations for the team. Merchandise, digital games, and more can all leverage this new crab character. Navy football games feature a “crab race” on the jumbotron, and I’d love to see the Baysox do something similar. We know the crabs can race, but can they field? Can they hit? Why not build a fan activation to find out? (P.S. if you know someone at the Baysox, forward this to them, as I’d love to help build it).
Lastly, I have countless fond memories of going to Baysox games. My dad took my brothers and I all the time as kids. I remember seeing fireworks after their 4th of July games. I would go to games with friends after our summer swim meets at BBT. I had many a date night there as a teenager. Then life happens. You get older, busier, and your free time starts to get scarcer and scarcer. At this point it’s been years since I’ve been to a game. But seeing this rebrand really piqued my interest. Not just because of the crab (though he is great), but because it triggered a flood of these wonderful memories. For the first time in years, I’ve thought “man, I gotta see the Baysox again” and I can’t wait for the season to start so I can make good on that desire.
It goes to show that rebrands, especially in industries like sports, can do wonders for renewing a fanbase’s pride in their team. I look forward to seeing the Chesapeake Baysox play in 2025, and hope that in some small way we can all embrace the power of the crab.