Since 2003, the Lancaster Barnstormers, members of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, have had a visual brand that reflects the idyllic environs of Pennsylvania’s Amish country. Their logo has portrayed a static barn underscored by a swooping baseball.
One of the oldest logos in the league, the team felt it was time to move away from the peaceful imagery of their longtime brand.
“The barn, while it has to do with Lancaster and the agriculture and everything, it’s not the fiercest, most menacing type of mark,” said Lauren Zuckerman, Lancaster’s Director of Marketing.
That change came today when the team unveiled a new, abbreviated name, with an electric (literally) suite of logos that paint a very different picture. The identity, created by Skye Design Studios, features a bull with a lightning bolt across its forehead crashing through wood and a looming barn set against the backdrop of an electric storm.
While Lancaster, Pennsylvania, might be known for rolling hills and beautiful countryside, the decision to rebrand with a more aggressive identity was about conveying the attitude of the team.
“At the end of the day, this is a baseball team, these are professional athletes,” said Skye Dillon of Skye Design Studios. “This is about generating excitement and in a lot of ways creating something strong and dynamic that creates excitement.”
And the Stormers have a reason to boast with a strong identity.
“The team has won four championships—two back to back,” Zuckerman said. “So we are a very strong team and we wanted something that represents that, something that other teams should be scared of.”
While the word “Barn” is gone from the team’s nickname, the barn itself is still there in the new suite of marks—only this time with a bit more sizzle. A roundel features the barn withstanding a nighttime electric storm.
“The new identity needed to feel authentic to both the agricultural roots of the region as well as the forward momentum and modern essence of Lancaster,” Dillon said.
Another logo in the suite features a wordmark—a combination of Pennsylvania Dutch calligraphy combined with bold, aggressive block font, per Dillon—set under a barn. In this instance, the barn is portrayed with its doors open, intimating that a storm has blown them open or that animals may come charging out.
The process of rebranding the Barnstormers began in 2015 when Skye Design worked with the team on an All Star logo. The rebrand project, which Dillon dubbed “Storming Forward,” was shelved for nearly a decade until the team decided the time was right. After exploring options that involved a number of farm animals, a few human characters, and an anthropomorphic combine harvester, the team settled on a bull for the energy it conveys.
“The goal was to modernize the overall look and introduce a character that could activate in a number of dynamic ways to generate fan excitement, expand merchandising opportunities, and provide inspiration for thematic gameday promotions,” Dillon said.
Ultimately, collaboration and conversations over the course of nearly a decade led to the brand that was unveiled today.
“We landed on the bull for a lot of great reasons, but it was certainly not our first choice initially,” Dillon said. “It took the entire process to really discover as a team that was the right solution.”
While this new identity is a departure for the team, there are certain aspects of the brand that will be familiar to fans. The color palette is largely unchanged, and a script L that serves as the team’s cap logo will remain in use.
Even the new name itself is one that locals will recognize.
“Stormers has kind of been the nickname that people have been using to shorten Barnstormers pretty much the whole time the team has been around,” Zuckerman said. “We wanted to make sure we weren’t completely changing the name or losing the identity of the team, so this was a great way to modernize it.”
The Stormers will take to the field when Atlantic League play begins April 25, 2024.