Featured Project: Kitchen Sink Studios Provides Naming, Identity, Interactive Marketing for Legends Entertainment District

Yesterday an exciting new initiative was announced that will change the landscape of downtown Phoenix. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns and the City of Phoenix have teamed up to create the Legends Entertainment District, which will transform the area around US Airways Center and Chase Field into a dynamic, interactive environment for visitors and fans.

Kitchen Sink Studios, Inc. played an integral part in the formation of Legends Entertainment District by developing the concept for the Legends name, designing the Legends logo and brand identity, and creating an interactive sales and marketing presentation that brings the District to life.

The first step was the name. Each member of the Kitchen Sink creative team came up with their own ideas and suggestions for a name for the District, which were then compiled into one list. From there, team members brainstormed and narrowed down the choices to about a dozen selections, which were presented to client.

From those dozen choices, the Kitchen Sink team was instructed to begin creating a logo and identity for three finalists, and from those finalists, the Legends Entertainment District was born.

"'Legends' is a clear reference to the sports and entertainment that goes on in Chase Field and US Airways Center. These are places where some of the most well known athletes and entertainers of our lifetimes have performed," said Doug Bell, Art Director at Kitchen Sink Studios. "But there’s additional history behind the idea of the 'Legends' name that makes it even more intriguing and relevant."

First, for long-time residents of the Phoenix area, “Legends” will call to mind the beloved Legend City amusement park, built in the late 1950s near the Phoenix Zoo. For residents of the area in the 60s and 70s, the park was Arizona’s answer to Disneyland and an entertainment mecca.

Legend City was also where Wallace and Ladmo frequently performed. These legendary entertainers thrilled Arizona children for years at their studios, which were not far away from the current site of the sporting venues.

The “Legends” area in question is also adjacent to Heritage Square in Phoenix, home to several historical museums.

This taste of Arizona history, based around the “Legends” concept, is a reminder that Arizona frequently does not celebrate its own history. As we thought about how the concept could evolve, we thought the “Legends” theme could create the opportunity for a variety of different features and activities.

But the Legends name also created a challenge. The goal wasn't to evoke old times, necessarily; it was to create a dynamic new experience. So when it came to developing a logo and identity, we were tasked with creating something that generates a sense of excitement.

The Legends Entertainment District logo you see here is the result of that effort. We originally developed 8-10 logo concepts for the District, and the logo selected was carefully refined from one of the earlier iterations. It evokes not only the sports and entertainment aspects of the District, but also downtown Phoenix itself, in a way that makes the area feel fresh and exciting. 

Finally, with the name and branding developed, we were asked to bring the District to life through the use of an interactive online marketing presentation. The Kitchen Sink team created a Flash presentation that shows how the lights and activity around the Legends Entertainment District will look in the future, and allows prospective sponsors to literally zoom through the District and see how their sponsorships might look in real life. 

The Legends Entertainment District was a very enjoyable project for the Kitchen Sink team, allowing us to flex our creative muscles and create something that will have a lasting impact on our community. We wish Judd Norris and the folks working on the District the best of luck in making it a reality.