Myrtle Beach unveils new logo

It took over two weeks for them to do it, but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans finally unveiled their new logo at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

The press conference, which was held in the Pelicans' home clubhouse at Coastal Federal Field, was the culmination of an unorthodox promotional stunt. On Nov. 15, the team put up a brick wall graphic on its website. Over the next 15 days, portions of the brick wall were removed in small increments, slowly revealing the new logo that laid underneath.

Now, the logo can be seen in all its unobstructed glory. The black and teal color scheme that dominated the previous logo has been replaced by a triumvirate of new colors, which the team refers to as midnight blue, sun gold and pelicans blue. The primary logo features an American White Pelican perched on a baseball bat, with the words "Mrytle Beach Pelicans" in a flashy, sweeping script.

"We wanted to make sure that our logo and look was unlike any other franchise in professional baseball," said Pelicans general manager North Johnson. "Throughout the creative process our goal was to signify Myrtle Beach but also to separate ourselves with a distinctive color and look. We drew inspiration from the retro San Diego Chargers football uniforms as well as the UCLA uniforms from the 1980s."

The Pelicans' new home uniforms feature white sleeveless tops paired with blue-sleeved undershirts and the word "Pelicans" across the chest. The road unis will feature gray tops, blue sleeves and "Myrtle Beach" across the chest.

The team's new identity is the work of Plan B Branding, a creative ideas firm that works primarily with Minor League teams. The suddenly ubiquitous company has also worked with the Spokane Indians, Lakeland Flying Tigers and Boise Hawks during the offseason, among several others.

The logo unveiling is just the tip of the iceberg for the Pelicans. The 2007 campaign will mark the first full season under the operation of an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg, who also serves as the president and managing partner of the Altoona Curve and the State College Spikes.

"Our new logos and uniforms not only look great, but more importantly, symbolize the first of many dramatic improvements we will be making this offseason to improve all facets of the fan experience at Coastal Federal Field," said Greenberg.