uncommontaries

The Heat is On

In 2007, the NBA’s Miami Heat came to RARE Design looking to expand their brand identity with the creation of a new secondary mark. A secondary mark is normally designed as a companion to the primary mark, and is used in such important places as merchandise, the team’s court, etc. These are almost always used subordinately to the primary mark (hence the name). In many cases, the secondary is more simplified than the primary, and it often touches on more regional aspects of the team’s identity.

As we got started on the project, we asked ourselves, what kind of imagery could be used to help strengthen the Heat brand? The team already has an extremely iconic primary mark, so we knew our explorations were not limited to simplified marks. The region’s Art Deco influences, the South Beach lifestyle, and even the name itself led us in different directions. How do we bring these elements to life while grounding the mark in some of the things—heritage, pride, confidence, innovation, strength—the Heat stand for?

The Art Deco-styled M was an early hit, as were some of the palm-tree inspired marks. But after numerous revisions and back-and-forth talks with the team, it became clear that the secondary mark needed to be more subdued. The MH ligature, which incorporates the Heat custom font and ubiquitous “flame”, is able to represent the Heat in both a fresh and timeless way while allowing the primary to continue to stand front and center.