In the previous entry we took a look at Arizona State's recent rebranding campaign in terms of the logo and wordmark. But now, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty: the uniforms. Before any critique is made, it would serve us all well to examine a few of ASU's previous uniforms. Before Nike started running the show, Adidas had been providing the Sun Devils with uniforms that had ranged from ordinary to modern mundane. Nike's first uniform set was a step forward, but not particularly exceptional. The single helmet stripe, contrasting collar and sleeve trim, and single pant stripe created a bold, simple look that ASU wore for a several years. A unique feature of Arizona State's uniforms was the "PT-42" patch that honored former Sun Devil Pat Tillman, who left an NFL career to serve in the military after 9/11. This tribute became a permanent fixture that remains a part of the uniforms to this day. Aside from a minor template update, the uniforms remained unchanged from introduction to retirement with the exception of the addition of a solid maroon away pant. In 2009, Nike updated ASU's look that reduced the uniform's trim to contrasting piping, and changed the pant logo from "Sparky" to the interlocking "A-S." Along with the uniform change, ASU decided to go monochrome several times. Overall, the uniform update was relatively minor, but it brought some modern touches to a relatively plain uniform set.
Now on to the new stuff. First up is the helmet. Gone is the single stripe, and replacing Sparky is the new pitchfork logo, sized and oriented in a sort of Florida State style. Considering the logo changes, I love the new helmet. Although it's an obvious way to implement the new team mark, it's uncluttered and avoids unnecessary striping or other adornments. Can't tell just by the photos, but the helmets' paint job also appear to have that matte finish that is all the rage in college football right now.
The uniforms themselves have been simplified by the elimination of any sort of contrasting trim. The trim and TV numbers have been replaced with shoulder stripes and an "ASU" wordmark on the sleeve. The shoulder stripes are interesting in that they echo "barbs" of the pitchfork, but I think the new look is a little too simliar to this, especially since they're in the same conference. The chest workmark has been updated in the new font, but probably won't be noticeable unless up close. The new uniforms continue the tradition of honoring Pat Tillman, with a kind of medal or medallion at the collar that's unique and subtle. The pants have been greatly simplified, with only the obligatory swoosh and hip pitchfork logo breaking up the solid color.
The new uniform set introduces iterations in maroon, gold, and black–complete with its own helmet. The addition of black into the ASU color scheme is probably the most dramatic change introduced by Nike. Because black has not been a significant presence in the Sun Devil color palette, in "uni-speak" we call this "Black for Black's sake," or BFBS. There are many instances of BFBS in other sports, and for the most part, are only created as a merchandising or popularity ploy, since black is not a dominant part of the team's color scheme. Generally. I share the same sentiments as Paul Lukas of UniWatch on BFBS, in that I don't really care for it. I understand that to some extent, appeasing fans and players is important, but I think that BFBS is a cheap way out. Instead of something creative, most of the time, BFBS is merely a black clone of a home or away uniform. In the instance of ASU, this is mostly the case, save for the uniform numbers which have a gradient that fades from gold to white. It looks sharp, but ASU isn't the first team to display this.
Overall, I just don't feel like I can say this is truly a step forward for Arizona State. While I like the new logo, and wordmark, the elimination of TV numbers, and the more-or-less blank pants don't get a lot of points from me. I think a lot of fans expect an Oregon-scale rebranding; they want something drastic and cutting edge. And thus far it seems like Nike has had a tough time repeating their success in a way that appeals to fans. To their credit, it can be a hard balance to strike. From a design standpoint, creating something modern and unique that isn't totally off-base of tradition is kind of like pushing the opposing ends of two magnets together. In summary, the Sun Devils' rebranding feels very similar to Michigan State's; it certainly isn't a step backwards, but it really isn't much of an improvement.
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