RecSports Brief

1. reCREATION
UCSB
RECREATION
BANNERS
Proposed by Rochelle Farnum
UCSB Recreational Sports Marketing Team

2. reCREATION
[HISTORY]
Project initiation by Director of Recreation, Jon Spaventa during late September 2011. Inspired by
representation of the recreational department at UCSD, Jon encouraged the Recreational Sports
Marketing Team to make investments in developing the creative products for a stronger recreational
presence on the UCSB campus.
UCSB Recreation has no external advertisements around the UCSB campus other than individual
program promotions such as the Adventure Programs storage at Harder Stadium. Other
advertisements are located in our facilities such as the Recreational Center and Robertson
Gymnasium Lobby.
Although the banners will have a fiscal investment, it is a way to optimize our limited budget by using
strong marketing channels. Having these cohesive banners will aid our developments into giving a
cohesive representation of our programs. It provides a venue to enhance awareness and involve-
ment, and will increase the department’s marketing effectiveness.
[OBJECTIVES]
Banner advertisements serve as a tangible solution to increase the recreational presence on the UCSB
campus through professional and attractive long-term marketing investments.
[GOAL] to build upon a stronger brand identity that will support the long-term sustainability of recre-
ational opportunities at UCSB.
[PURPOSE]
Increase recreational presence on UCSB campus, and build upon a developing brand image.
• Accurate representation of Recreational Sports programs and recreational offerings
• Recreational/Program recognition
• Increase UCSB brand value by highlight dynamics/programs with high involvement #s
• Sustainable, long-term marketing investments
• Durable, professional, adds values

3. reCREATION
[RESEARCH]
Goal: Gain knowledge into representation of recreation to guide purposeful direction for our creative
proposal.
Main Sources:
• Department employee/program coordinators
• Recreational studies research
• sport advertisements
• other campus recreation programs (i.e. UCSD banners)
• ESPN/all encompassing type sport associations
• Processing program number data from UCSB Recreational Sports annual reports
[Department Feedback]
Jon Spaventa: Cathy Czuleger
• Strong supporter of the “Where Gauchos Play” slogan • Cathy is in communication with logistics and other
• Find elements that represent that idea of “play” parties, such as ICA, to help with the banner creation/
• Highlight the entire department of recreation: rec university policies
sports, leisure review, group fitness, ESS credential
etc. Rod Tucknott
• Visual message that we have: exceptional, very best, • Tier 1: kayak, SCUBA, Ropes Course, Rentals
available for everyone • Tier 2: Canyoneering, Leadership Training Course,
Rock Climbing
Paul Lee
• Showcase programs that are not as popular and more Chris Burleson
unique to the recreational program • Vision: getting LR out there
• (I.e. Sailing, rugby, lacrosse, rowing, etc. • Associations: “crazy, fun, class”
• Highest Participation: dance, wellness (yoga & pi-
Taggart Malone lates), martial arts, group fitness
• Emphasis on the competitive and successful teams • Focus on the individual & open to everyone
• Wants to find a way to represent all teams if possible • Fine tune your skills, focus on mind & body
Goal: to acquire new customers and maintain interests in current participants
Consider their participant’s needs, wants, identifiable characteristics.
Bonadio, W.N., Divito, K., Kaltenbaugh, L.P. , Molnar, J.C., Roeder, J. (2011). Impact of Marketing Strategies on Campus Recreational Sports
Departments. Recreational Sports Journal. NIRSA Foundation. (35) 86-94

4. reCREATION
[Recreational Sports Annual Numbers]
Intramural Sports and Special Events
• Annual Participation: 176000
• 10% of Intramural Participants are SBCC students
• Approximately 140 student employees per quarter
• Use of 10 different facilities and fields
• Popular Sports: basketball, outdoor soccer, and indoor soccer
• Goals: Increase female participation and reduce number of forfeits
• Special Events: 35 Events Total in 2010 - 2011 year
Sport Clubs
• Annual Participation: 793
• Males: 460, Females: 333 (58% vs. 42%)
• Highest Participation: Triathlon, Rugby, Lacrosse, Rowing, Ski & Snowboard, Soccer, Ultimate
• Highest Female Participation: Lacrosse (46), Rugby (44), Triathlon (42), Rowing (37)
• Highest Male Participation: Triathlon (58), Rugby (47), Lacrosse (45), Ski & Snowboard (41)
• Lowest Participation: Bowling, Surfing, Men’s Volleyball
Adventure Programs
• Annual Participation: 7863 (4307 = students)
• Highest Student Participation: ACC (1700), Ropes (992), LTC/AP Staff, Rock, Kayak
• Lowest Student Participation: Clinics, Paragliding, WROLC
[UCSB Recreational Banner Goals]
• Long-term investments – “timeless” approach in creative production and strategies
• Distinguishable – logistically, these banners are alternating with UCSB Athletics’ clean and well-branded banners.
When considering our creative developments, it is a goal to be harmonious with ICA, but also distinguishable with the
unique benefits of our programs to not create brand confusion/association with ICA.
• Enhance awareness and involvement --> powerful influence on participation and student learning
• Promotion recreation in a cohesive fashion for program sustainability
[Marketing Guidance]
Questions:
1. What exactly are you attempting to market?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. How can you best reach them?
4. How can you differentiate what you are marketing?
Who are our audience? What are their goals, instructional climate and culture and decision-making for the services of-
fered?
Guiding creative direction, a simple approach would appear to be the best way to represent such a diverse and extensive
program. Outlined are the associations and distinguishable benefits of our recreational program on campus:
1. The outside-the-classroom experience: exciting, accessible, innovative
2. Creates a social environment (leadership development, competitive sporting, group fitness, informal recreation)
Some ideas in mind are to utilize photography as the main visual element. Highlighting one subject for each program (i.e.
Soccer player for “Sport Clubs” etc.

5. reCREATION
[Creative Proposals]
Goal: Provide direction for development of creative prototypes.
Through each proposal, a main objective is to find a way to prime our audience to have a positive association with
“UCSB Recreation.”
Each proposal has consistent elements, a dynamic between text and visuals.
The visuals provide a strong branding message and a visual identity of recreation.
The text showcases the motivations and attitudes toward the actions/behavior of sports (seen in the photos).
Something to consider, is what will be a consistent element in the development of these creative representations. Pos-
sibilities include:
1. Recreation logo
2. Design structure (similar positioning of text and consistent placement of subjects in photos)
3. Distinguishable color (such as a bright green, blue, yellow, etc)
4. Design treatments (i.e. a “filter” added over the photos, similar to UCSD’s photos)
5. Dependent elements (i.e. Putting one word on various posters that “complete” the story, photos that track the fluid
motion of activity)
For creative direction, some provided that our banners compliment (rather than compete) with ICA’s banners. However,
it is a goal for us to create distinguished banners as to not confused our audience that these banners are not a simply
“new” advertisements provided by UCSB Athletics.
With this insight, our visual representation will lend to a holistic “tone,” with a core focused on recreation’s identifiable
core. A balance between our desires to be both connected and competitive
This holistic tone can be accomplished by using Gaucho colors (blue, yellow).
[Visuals]
Visuals should be active: showing energy, emotion, community, etc. The emphasis is again on “doing” (action/verbs) –
creating a dichotomy between simple, clean, text and an exciting visual element. This balance will not overwhelm the
audience; it will give them a simple call to action with a simple answer (action photo showing them what they can be).
Also, with alternating the banners with ICA, this will provide a nice dynamic with their clean design and static photo rep-
resentation.
These banners should focus on the participant doing something (not “I” or facilities). This is about the Gaucho, about the
universal and diverse offerings recreation provides.
We want to empower the audience “to do” something, not simple be satisfied as a spectator.

6. reCREATION
[Proposal 1: “Gauchos Play”]
Where Gauchos Play is the slogan coined for UCSB Recreational Sports. We can modify and make
iterations stemmed from this phrase (i.e.“This is Where Gauchos Play,” “Gauchos Play Here,” “Gau-
chos Play,” “Play Gauchos Play,” etc).
The act of play (playing) highlights the idea of recreation.
Definition (N): “Actively engaged in for enjoyment and recreation.”
• “Used to describe a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated with
pleasure and enjoyment.”
Characteristics of play: (identified by Peter Gray)
1. Play is self-chosen and self-directed
2. Play is activity in which means are more valued than ends
3. Play has structure, or rules, which are not dictated by physical necessity but derived from the
minds of players
4. Play is imaginative, non-literal, mentally removed in some way from “real” or “serious” life
5. Play involves an active, alert, but non-stressed frame of mind
The variations do not show a “recreation logo” at this point, but will be added once decided on.
Black and white text selected for a professional look: simple, classic, and distinguishable.
Variation 1A: “This is where gauchos play” (text/photo)
• Pole 1: “This” + (photo)
• Pole 2: “Is” + (photo)
• Pole 3: “Where” + (photo)
• Pole 4: “Gauchos” + (Photo)
• Pole 5: “Play” + (photo)
• Pole 6: “Rec sports logo/Recreation logo” + (photo)?
adventure
programs
sport clubs
THIS IS

7. reCREATION
Variation 1B: “Gauchos Play” (text/text) + (photo/photo)
• Pole 1: WHERE
• Pole 2: (Photo) (Photo)
• Pole 3: GAUCHOS
• Pole 4: (Photo) (Photo)
• Pole 5: PLAY
• Pole 6: (photo) (photo)
• *photo on Left: individual/close-up shot
• *photo on right: team/action shot
Variation 1B: “Gauchos Play” (text/text) + (photo/photo)
*with the alternating sides, the text would be on the upper left hand corner on the left side banners.
The text would be on the bottom right hand corner on the right side banners.
• Pole 1: “Where” / “Where”
• Pole 2: (photo) (photo)
• Pole 3: “Gauchos” / “Gauchos”
• Pole 4: (photo) (photo)
• Pole 5: “Play” / “Play”
• Pole 6: (photo) (photo)
sport clubs
sport clubs
WHERE
WHERE

8. reCREATION
[Proposal 2: One Word Approach]
This approach’s goal is to highlight the “doing” ability of our target audience. By facilitating partici-
pation on a basis of interest, recreation is available to all. Those involved in our program, have the
privilege of “doing” rather than watching. The idea is similar to Proposal 1, with text and photos sup-
porting one another.
The idea would be to use one word (i.e. Verb) with one photo on each banner pair. The photo acts as
the visual representation and association with that verb.
Verbs:
Run. Hit. Explore. Train. Tackle. Catch. Beat. Kick. Race. Ride. Save. Serve. Shoot. Swim. Surf. Pass.
Throw. Volley. Win. Learn. Grow. Play.
Examples:
Run / triathlon team
Tackle / rugby player
Kick / Soccer
Pass / IM Basketball
Explore / Adventure Program
Learn / dancer/Pilates
*the visuals would be in a similar manner as Proposal 1.
RACE.
recreation

9. reCREATION
[Proposal 3: Be a ____ ]
A unique feature of recreation, is that people CAN play, can do, can learn, can participate etc. A ma-
jor benefit of recreation is the ability to get up from the stands, away from the books, and do some-
thing. Recreation epitomizes the idea of freedom and choice. Our audience has the choice to get
involved, to participate, to grow, etc.
The “Be a ____” focuses on the use of nouns..offering the audience the option of becoming some-
thing, of defining a role, etc. Recreation creates the balance of a student-athlete. Having their in-
volvement be a part of who they are, not defining them as just their activity. Our audience are stu-
dents, they are friends, they are children, they are mentors, they are athletes, they are individuals,
they are Gauchos.
Copy: “Be a ______”
Some examples: Be a champion, be a captain, be a team, be a be a trainer, be a participant, be a
player, be an athlete, be a teammate, be a risk taker, be an adventurer, be an amateur, be a leader, be
a brother, be a sister, be a be an explorer, be a competitor… be a Gaucho.”
be a be a
gaucho gaucho
recreation
Idea originated:

10. reCREATION
[Proposal 4: Elements of the Gaucho]
Elements of the Gaucho, highlights specific areas of recreation by focusing on sports and human
components. Rather than showing a soccer player, the visual would be a representation of the
cleats, or the ball, or the gloves saving a goal.
A strength of this approach, is by focusing on certain “elements,” there is a more universal represen-
tation. Most visuals would not include faces, but rather hands, feet, etc. This has the “unnamed you”
as part the marketing strategy.
It also brings focus to the features that allow our audience to play. This approach also provides a
different perspective on play and a dramatically different approach to UCSB Athletics’ approach to
their banners.
Copy would remain similar to Proposal 1, but the visual elements would differ.

11. reCREATION
[Additional Ideas & Proposals]
[Word Webs]
Play: Fun, release, childhood, teamwork,
game, activity, childhood --> Discover
Repeating slogan:
Discover: legacy, adventure, find, open,
“Recreation, the action, new, explorer, change
Gaucho Playground”
Go: action, motion, experience, future,
*different visuals freedom, exploration, will, initiative
Champions: victory, pinnacle, elite, worth-
while, legacy, conquest, reward, best
Gaucho Playtime (Recreation)
Join the Club (Sport Clubs)
Discover (Adventure Programs)
Use of water in all photos to highlight motion.
Potential representation of ESS Management:
have subjects in work clothes in a sports environment