Montreat College visual communication students got a behind-the-scenes look at branding, visual identity and the business of professional baseball during a Sept. 28 visit to Asheville’s newly renovated HomeTrust Bank Park.
The visit was part of an outing with the Asheville chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the professional association for design. Fourteen Montreat students and faculty participated in the event, where Asheville Tourists president and owner Brian DeWine led the group through the ballpark and shared the story behind the team’s visual identity — from its familiar Mr. Moon logo and alternate Asheville Hippies identity to the recent renovation and renaming of the historic stadium.
“I preach to our staff all the time, ‘Be your brand. Stay on brand,’” DeWine told the students. “It’s the most important thing we have.”
The evening began in the Tourists’ locker room, where DeWine walked students through the evolution of a franchise identity that stretches back more than a century. When DeWine took over the team in 2010, the organization considered a major rebrand, including the possibility of replacing the Tourists name. Ultimately, the team chose to preserve the historic name while developing a new visual identity designed to connect more strongly with Asheville and its fans.
That effort included changing the team’s colors and developing merchandise that fans would want not only to buy but also to wear. DeWine said one of his favorite ways of evaluating the success of a brand is simply to look around the stadium.
“I use the eyeball test,” he said. “If I’m at a game, are people wearing our stuff?”
Students also heard how branding decisions extend well beyond logos. DeWine discussed alternate identities such as the Asheville Hippies, a temporary rebrand that grew from social media banter with the rival Greenville Drive. The season series that prompted the idea ended in a tie, but Asheville went ahead with the Hippies identity anyway.
“We sold out hats, we sold out T-shirts, we sold out everything,” DeWine said. “Everyone loved it.” Fans showed up in tie-dye, the game sold out and the Hippies became an alternate identity the Tourists would bring back again.
The recently renovated ballpark provided another case study. DeWine explained how the Tourists worked to carry the team’s identity throughout the facility, including spaces most fans never see. Even the locker room was designed to reinforce the organization’s visual identity for players.
“We wanted this locker room to be on brand,” DeWine said. “Even though this wasn’t for the fans, this was for players. They need to see what our brand is every single day.”
The renovation also brought one of the organization’s most visible branding decisions: retiring the historic McCormick Field name and bringing in HomeTrust Bank as a corporate naming-rights partner. The Tourists introduced HomeTrust Bank Park through a video that combined the history of baseball in Asheville with the announcement of the new name. “We wanted to tell our story, tell the history, and then let them know about the change,” DeWine said.
“Experiences like this give our students a chance to see how the things we talk about in class actually work in the real world,” Professor Ashley Lippard said. “They got to hear directly from someone making decisions about branding and to see how those decisions shape everything from a logo to an entire ballpark.”
DeWine also emphasized that even ideas that appear successful during the design process ultimately have to connect with an audience. He recalled one logo that was particularly popular inside the organization until merchandise featuring it went on sale.
“Everyone loved it on paper,” DeWine said. “Never sold it.”
Before the evening ended, DeWine offered students interested in branding, design and other creative careers a final piece of advice: find opportunities to gain professional experience while still in college.
“Do an internship,” DeWine said. “That’s the biggest thing I’d tell you to do.”
Then he put it even more simply: “Do that internship. That’s an investment in yourself.”
Montreat faculty members Ashley Lippard and Joe Martin accompanied the students on the visit. Participating students included Lauren Blue, Jacob Burke, Rylan Furr, Avian Moya, Sofia Zlotnikova, Charlotte Briggs, Rebecca Fowler, Nick Abramov, Kelsey Wiggins, Maverick Smith, Mapalo Nalwamba and Zakhar Baliuk.