Smokies bearing down with new logos

The Tennessee Smokies unveiled new logos and uniforms Wednesday afternoon, ushering in the era of the bear.

For the first 15 seasons of their existence, the Smokies' primary logo featured a silhouette of the Great Smoky Mountain range, the inspiration for the team's name. Though the mountains are still referenced in the Southern League franchise's new primary logo, it is a bat-wielding bear that serves as the centerpiece. Bears are abundant in the Smoky Mountain region, but it was the Smokies' long-running affiliation with the Chicago Cubs that served as the primary motivation for the team to update its branding. The Smokies have been affiliated with the Cubs since 2007, and the two parties recently signed a player development contract (PDC) extending that relationship through the 2018 season.

"We first started to use a bear logo seven or eight years ago. We knew it was something we wanted to stay with and thought that this was an important step in the right direction," said Smokies general manager Brian Cox. "The partnership with the Cubs is important to us. It made sense to go to their colors, as the Cubs are one of the biggest brands in the country and we wanted to make a long-term commitment."

Indeed, the Smokies can no longer be accused of sartorial ambiguity in regard to the representation of their Major League affiliate. The Cubs' familiar red and blue color scheme is apparent not just in the new logo but in all of the team's new and updated marks. The red, white and blue home cap features the club's familiar "TS" logo, while the road cap features the bear logo against an all-red crown and blue bill. An alternate logo (see right), which will be used on the batting practice cap, juxtaposes a baby-blue Smokies "S" atop a dark blue illustration of the state of Tennessee.

The Smokies partnered in this rebranding effort with Studio Simon, a Louisville-based design firm headed by Dan Simon. Studio Simon is well known in the industry, having designed logos for the Modesto Nuts, Round Rock Express, Fort Myers Miracle and many others.

"We liked [Simon's] baseball work. We didn't want to do something too outlandish and he kept it real clean for us," said Cox. "We decided on the scowling blue bear, but we looked at a couple of different [designs]. Some were smiling, some had a face that was meaner."

The team's new logo and uniforms, unveiled during an event at the renowned Knoxville-based barbecue restaurant Calhoun's, are emblematic of the change taking place in the Smokies organization as a whole. Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd became the team's owner in June 2013, and he soon initiated a wide-ranging (and still ongoing) series of renovations to Smokies Stadium, the team's home.

"This is the first really new change in design that we've had in 15 seasons," said Cox. "It's exciting. We've got to keep moving forward."