CHIEN-MING
WANG
BRANDING A LEGEND
When Chien-Ming Wang, the “Pride of Taiwan” and ace pitcher for the New York Yankees, called us to the mound to develop his own uniquely personal brand, we pitched a perfect strike! June 2009: Chien-Ming Wang Brand Packaging Campaign wins a National Silver Addy after having received the Judge's Choice and Gold Award at the district level.
WHAT WE DID
Brand Platform Development Brand Creation Logo Development Merchandise Development
CHALLENGE
Yankees’ ace pitcher, the two-time Olympic All-Star and cross-cultural icon, Chien-Ming Wang, came to us for a personal brand that aligned with his on-fi eld persona while refl ecting his cultural and personal values. Successful branding of this living legend would be achieved by capturing the essence of the icon Chien-Ming Wang both in the United States and Taiwan as well as the inspirational values of the man himself.
SOLUTION
As the Yankees’ first Taiwanese player and the “Pride of Taiwan,” Chien-Ming Wang’s humble manner and quiet dominance on the fi eld have elevated him to nothing less than a folk hero in his native land and a uniquely inspirational sports icon in the United States. This fusion of East and West is embodied in Wang’s disciplined and dignified demeanor both on and off the field and sets an impeccable new standard for cross-cultural success. We focused on distilling the essence of Chien-Ming Wang by developing a brand/positioning platform based on inspiration and harmony, then expanded on the concept with several aligning visual boards. We developed logo concepts based on these boards, and fans were invited to choose their favorite. The logo event on Major League Baseball’s website generated more hits during that two-week time frame than any other two weeks within 24 months. Once Chien-Ming Wang’s logo was chosen and developed, we were asked to develop concepts for his limited edition collection of bobble-heads. The success of the bobble-heads is clear: the initial two concepts have sold out quickly and are being purchased on Ebay for more than $1,000 each!
By distilling the cross-cultural uniqueness of the man and the icon, we were able to capture the quintessence of Chien-Ming Wang.
Brand positioning visual boards informed and inspired the logo designs. Fans were then invited to vote for their favorites.
Brand positioning visual boards informed and inspired the logo designs. Fans were then invited to vote for their favorites.
By distilling the cross-cultural uniqueness of the man and the icon, we were able to capture the quintessence of Chien-Ming Wang.
The success of the bobble-heads is clear: the initial two concepts have sold out quickly and are being purchased on Ebay for more than $1,000 each!
