Dignitas is an international esports organization founded in September 2003 through the merger of two Battlefield 1942 teams, and it was acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers in September 2016.[1] The organization’s visual identity has undergone two major changes since its founding: an October 2018 rebrand that introduced an owl logo, and a January 2021 rebrand that brought back a modernized version of the original alien mascot, “Digi.”[2]
Design and History
Dignitas launched with an alien logo colloquially known as “Digi” at its founding in 2003.[3] That mark remained in place for 15 years until October 31, 2018, when the organization announced its first brand refresh, dropping “Team” from its name and replacing the alien with an owl.[4][5]
The 2018 owl logo drew inspiration from the Owl of Minerva, a symbol of Ancient Rome where the term “dignitas” was popularized.[4] Dignitas CEO Michael Prindiville described the new mark as a blend of the owl of ancient Rome and the original Team Dignitas owl, designed to “reflect those traits that the Romans held so dear but also encompass our fierce and unwavering competitive history.”[6] The rebrand also introduced a revised color palette, adding silver to the organization’s traditional black and yellow, and the official wordmark read “Dignitas 2003” as a nod to the organization’s history.[4]
On January 6, 2021, Dignitas unveiled another rebrand, bringing back Digi as its logo. The reimagined Digi was described as a “nanotechnological being” capable of shape-shifting, brought to life through emotive stills and animations.[3] The eyes of the new Digi were shaped similarly to the original logo, paying homage to and improving upon the 2003 design.[7] The 2021 rebrand also modified the classic yellow and black colors slightly to ensure more consistent printing on fabric, and named the yellow, black, grey, and white colors to represent various pillars of Dignitas and gaming.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2018 owl logo was tied directly to the meaning of the organization’s name. The word “dignitas” was popularized in Ancient Rome, and the Owl of Minerva served as a symbol of that culture.[4] Prindiville explained that the organization was drawn to the concept of “prestige” and the connectivity between an individual’s actions and successes and the success of the greater organization.[5]
The 2021 return of Digi was framed as a way to give Dignitas a mascot that better connects with esports and gaming fans. Digi was characterized as an agender alien nano-technological being, existing to be representative and accepting of all cultures and identities.[7] The organization described Digi’s attitude as “impish, spirited, and passionate,” operating through wit and dry humor.[3]
Typography and Design
For the 2021 rebrand, Dignitas stated that the wordmark typeface was “curated to show respect and solidarity with loyal fans of old and new,” leaning into a “G” symbolic of Clutch Gaming, the League of Legends Championship Series franchise that Dignitas acquired in Summer 2019.[3] Dignitas makes its brand guidelines available for download as a PDF, along with official marks in high-quality and vector scalable formats.[1]
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