Mother & Mother Design came together to plant a flag for New York's first esports team.
But first, we had a lot to learn. Like how to walk the tightrope between VCs, gamers, sports, and mainstream appeal. Our challenge in naming and branding the team was to be unmistakably New York and at the same time 100% authentic to the diverse and devoted Overwatch fanbase.
Here’s fake audio we made to help sell in the name NYXL/Excelsior to the team ownership.
And here’s a real photo from the stadium a year later, when NYXL notched their first playoff win.
The name Excelsior means ‘ever upward’, and the iconic shorthand NYXL evokes the place of bigger buildings, bigger dreams, more hustle, and more soul. The visual identity combines the raw power of the city with the energy and rhythm of the streets, subways, and sidewalks. We knew the launch needed more than just a tweet or a press release, so we convinced the client to let us go out and make something to get the community hyped up.
Created in absolute lockstep with Mother Design.