Milwaukee Bucks officially unveil new logos

After weeks of leaks and speculation, the Milwaukee Bucks' new logos finally went live Monday night during a public reveal at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. There was painting, there was singing, and ultimately there were new logos:

All three of the new #Bucks logos: pic.twitter.com/PZi3zAMT8Z

— Aron Yohannes (@AronYohannes) April 14, 2015

Your new Bucks logos! pic.twitter.com/mTdLJhICer

— Eric Buenning (@ericbuenning) April 14, 2015

The new Buck is only looking ahead, an imposing figure determined and focused on the path in front of him. pic.twitter.com/sF6e3WE6AG

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 14, 2015

The secondary mark portrays a strong reminder of the rich heritage of Bucks basketball in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/fjY6RYiAn7

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 14, 2015

The outline of Wisconsin solidifies the identity of the state as essential to the fabric of the new Bucks brand. pic.twitter.com/qR6CwtBy9x

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 14, 2015

Cool process pics of the Bucks new branding, via @dandcnewyork (cc @brewhoop @Bucksketball @UniWatch @sportslogosnet) pic.twitter.com/WajZ2jJ5qN

— Conrad Burry (@conradburry) April 14, 2015

Here's some background on the concept from designers Doubleday & Cartwright:

Recently under new ownership, the Milwaukee Bucks are poised to do for Wisconsin basketball what the Nets have done for Brooklyn: reignite excitement for the game at the local and statewide levels. The NBA franchise that formed in 1968 has had a remarkable visual history — it’s the only team in sports that had its home court, then Mecca Arena, customized by the artist Robert Indiana. And the Bucks arched type and Milwaukee script jerseys worn by Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and his teammates during their 1970s golden age are all-time uniform classics. But more recently, the Bucks’ identity had gotten muddled along the way, with a tomato-red and Kelly–green color scheme more reminiscent of Christmas than court domination.

To champion the Bucks' "own the future" pledge, to quote its new tagline, Doubleday & Cartwright looked to the Bucks’ design history and the enduring character of its hometown. The team adopted an updated color palette of deep forest green to represent Wisconsin’s woodlands, alongside a contrasting cream for the iconic bricks that define the "Cream City's" industrial heritage, as well as a new accent of bright blue for its abundance of fresh water. Unifying all the elements is a custom typeface, MKE Block Varsity, inspired by traditional varsity lettering.

For the primary mark we redrew the buck motif to better embody the competitive spirit of a team that is fearless (and fearsome), proud, and determined, with its antlers forming the outlines of a basketball. The secondary mark centers on a graphic reduction of a basketball and a bold letter M for Milwaukee. A tertiary mark puts the Bucks at the heart of the state of Wisconsin, literally and symbolically.