Sacramento Kings.
In the fall of 2022, I had an opportunity that would build into one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve been a part of. It all started when I reached out to the Kings in late summer with nothing but a positive attitude and the hope to meet some fellow creatives and talk type. To my surprise, they responded and had an upcoming typographic opportunity. The relationship started there and continued over the roar of the King’s 22/23 season and into the Playoffs for the first time in nearly 17 years.
My role:
Create typographic treatments that fit within the King’s brand, 22/33 season theme, and, ultimately, the highly anticipated Playoff run.
It’s about to get loud.
The King’s theme for the 22/23 season was “Roar With Us,” a reference to their “Feel the Roar” Playoff campaigns from the early thousands. The roar of a lion is nothing to sneeze at, and the Kings needed a type treatment that matched that energy. Golden 1 Center, home of the Kings, is one of, if not the loudest, venue in the NBA. This energy was top-of-mind during the creative process. To achieve this, the design options needed to be loose, raw, and energetic. With Ryan Brijs’ direction (the VP of Brand for the Kings), we developed a type treatment that would be used across several mediums, including a shirt for the home opener.
The drought is finally over.
With the Playoffs clenched for the first time in 17 years and the series quickly approaching, it was time for the Kings to expand the regular season theme for the long-awaited Playoff run. The design needed to feel stylistically similar to “Roar With Us” but evolve into a Playoff-specific look. The messaging shifted to “Feel the Roar,” the King’s Playoff campaign from the early thousands. We kept the grit from the season opener design and turned the volume to 11 with a modified sans-like treatment that lent itself to a diverse mix of use cases. The look also incorporates jagged edges and angles that call back to the bolts of electricity used throughout the 22/23 season materials designed by the talented in-house design team.
The showdown.
In the end, the Kings fell in game 7 to the Warriors. But I, like many others, think this is just the beginning, and I’m looking forward to watching the team play next year. To know my pen had a role (an admittedly teeny tiny role) in such a magical season is something this small-town kid doesn’t take for granted.
Thank you!
Special thanks to the Sacramento Kings and Ryan Brijs for the amazing opportunity. I also want to thank Conner Schuh for the amazing images that bring the work to life. Lastly, I want to thank the King’s design team. They did a great job implementing the lettering. I was stoked to see the lettering popping up in new places I would never expect—and always with finesse.
