Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
An 1800’s design icon - reinvented for todays digital world
The exact origins of the club’s original crest are lost in the sands of time. Sometime between 1835 (Notts first competitive county match) and 1921 (its last known use), the original marque was created. We know that it was used on county caps in 1904 and so it likely originated in the 1800’s.
The hand drawn design was pioneering in its day, taking some of its influence from a new exotic fruit, the pineapple, which became a symbol of friendship - with architects, craftsmen and artists of the day referencing it in their work. They were weaved into the design of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and can be seen on top of the North towers of St. Pauls cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren originally wanted a 60ft pineapple on top of the main dome! Its influence in Nottingham was slightly more subtle but like Wren’s design has stood the test of time.
The marque is made up of 3 stylised elements; a single N and 2 C’s. The 3rd C is represented by the negative (white) space between the 2 darker C’s. And so we have NCCC (Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club) reflected in the marque.
Breathing new life into this important element of club history was a fine balancing act. Respectful of the club’s colourful history. Embracing the ever changing 21st Century media landscape.
Originally the N was not centred across the C’s which gave the marque a slightly off balance look and positioning any type underneath would have no obvious centre line to anchor it. The C’s had something of an eye shape about them and so were rounded off more to compensate. Overall the proportions and principles of the original design were retained with the flamboyant serifs (those pineapple references) pared down, giving the whole monogram a lighter and more consistent overall weight.
All of these design variables were shown across a spectrum so that everyone could see their effect and ultimately agree on the balance between history and practicality.
With the new marque restored and made fit for the 21st Century it was reserved for the ‘red ball’ County Championship Team which is seen as the bedrock of the club. It also needed to work seamlessly with the other brand logos in the club stable; Trent Bridge and the Outlaws.
The final marque and its wider brand identity was captured in a detailed set of brand guidelines. The new identity being introduced in its historical context followed by the design specifications and tone of voice guidance necessary for its successful application across all forms of digital and traditional media. It’s crucial to establish this base detail because of the diverse applications; merchandise & packaging design, signage, websites & social, kit & equipment and shop interiors … and so it goes on.
We now have a crafted monogram which preserves all of the rich history and works perfectly for all aspects of team kit, signage, merchandise, print and digital media.
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is not an historic brand, it’s a 21st Century brand with history. We’ve seen this same design strategy work across other brands such as; Juventus, Louis Vuitton and the V&A.
Here’s to the next 100 years for a much loved marque.
Brand Creation
Brand Guidelines
Club Crest / Logo / Marque / Monogram