We all love a good update, whether it’s a shoe, a home improvement project, or a company rebrand. As we approach 44 years in business, we are excited to usher in a brand refresh for Playmakers! We are proud to have collaborated with Holly Wiese (Playmakers alumni) and Ryan Wiese of 3 Dots Design on this project. We spent the fourth quarter of 2024 exploring ideas and iterations with the goal of launching in the first quarter of 2025.

There is a lot of heritage we wanted to pay homage to while maintaining an energy that felt like Playmakers. We thought we’d peel back the curtain and give a little backstory on the direction we took with the logo:

• Font: We went with a font that resonated with Playmakers’ look and feel yet had a fresh, more modern perspective.
• Arches: These represent the arch of our building, connecting the logo to our iconic local structure, originally built for Schmidt’s Food Market in 1957.
• Pathway: The pathway through the arches shows our desired story of inspiring movement (running, walking, etc.). Also, the pathway shape is P-shaped!
• Colors: After numerous color variations, we returned to our roots and leaned into the (Munson) maroon of the store’s original days. We didn’t completely lose the (Run, Walk, Live) red; we kept that as an arch color while adding a new pop of color with the (Okemos) orange.

Our logo is everywhere! Over the next few weeks, you’ll see our new logo implemented in big and small ways. There will be updates throughout the year, from shopping bag designs and staff shirts to a new building storefront sign and a revamped website. Thank you for coming along for the ride, and we look forward to continuing to help you find your stride!

For curious eyes, our revised brand guide can be viewed here. Playmakers’ vision, mission, and values remain the same, with our new look!