As WS Dash fans enter the ballpark this year, they’ll be greeted with a team sporting a new logo. After ten years, the WS Dash organization decided it was time for a new look, so they partnered with The Variable, an award-winning ad agency in Winston-Salem, NC, to develop a logo that reflects not only the Dash as a team but the city as a whole. CJ Johnson, President and GM of the Winston-Salem Dash, said, “When designing the new Dash logo, we felt that a classic style with some modern touches was the perfect fit for our historic, yet innovative community.” The process of establishing a new logo isn’t one taken on lightly since it not only involves the team, but Minor League Baseball, as well as merchandising.
The process of designing a new logo for the WS Dash started with a review of the organization’s initial branding from 2009 and a discussion on what the team wanted to accomplish with the new branding.
“Once we had established the vision of what the logo should encompass, we worked with Minor League Baseball to confirm the transition timeline and necessary steps to be ready for the 2020 season. As you can imagine, our old logo was everywhere…merchandise, signage, letterhead, advertising, staff apparel, etc. We had to create a fairly extensive checklist of everywhere we would need to swap out the logo once it was introduced. Some of the changes were fairly easy; some will continue to be updated throughout 2020. Finally, we selected an introduction date of January 15 to release the hats to the public and a separate date of March 7 to release the jerseys,” commented CJ. For those fans who have grown to love what is known as ‘Dash Purple,’ don’t fear because that is still a part of the new branding.
“We believe the purple is an important part of the brand we have built over the past decade. Our new look does feature more black and white, but purple is still included in all our jerseys with a bit of a refresh, a bit lighter, which makes it ‘pop’ more on our apparel,” CJ stated. Along with the new logo comes great new gear and options for all ages.
Starting a New Decade
The 2020 season begins the WS Dash’s 11th year as the city’s family fun destination on most weekends. “We have been so fortunate to have tremendous community support over the past ten years. We will welcome our three millionth fan to the downtown ballpark for Dash baseball this season, and we are closing in on one million attendees for non-Dash events. With the opening of Salem Parkway and the soon to be opened pedestrian stroll way through downtown, the ballpark will continue to be the epicenter for family entertainment for our area. It is rewarding to see that our weekly promotion of Thirsty Thursdays, Friday Night Fireworks, and Free Food Mondays have become staples for residents’ personal entertainment calendars. We are excited for the potential to build upon those signature promotions for the next ten years,” said CJ. If you are worried about Bolt having a new look, don’t be.
“I believe Bolt has a lifetime contract. He wasn’t left out of the rebranding process though. Bolt was able to get a new jersey and some new shoes out of the deal, so he is coming into 2020 looking sharp. This season looks good with some new in-game promotions, new ballpark features, including extended netting for fan safety and a whole new look for everyone to enjoy,” commented CJ.
For more information on WS Dash season or tickets sales, visit wsdash.com. The 2020 season begins on Thursday, April 16.
