Show Bay Love
Show Love is an annual event held during NBA All-Star Weekend, where Hoop Bus brings the joy of basketball to grassroots communities. The tour features engaging activities, including tournaments, court refurbishments, and community outreach efforts. This year, Hoop Bus traveled to the Bay Area to Show Bay Love.
Ben Loiz Studio worked with Hoop Bus to develop a visual identity for the tour as well as design development for social media awareness, printed materials, brand partnerships, and environmental graphics.
Design Development
The visual identity draws inspiration from the Bay, incorporating typography reminiscent of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, the lettering on vintage Warriors jerseys, and the tranquil waters of the surrounding inland sea.
The designs burst with the energy of basketball, showcasing a dynamic array of logos, vibrant colors, and expressive type treatments that capture the sport’s excitement. Together, these elements create a cohesive identity that resonates with the spirit of basketball, celebrating both the heritage of the Bay Area and the passion of the fans.
Social Media
During All-Star Week, Hoop Bus deployed multiple buses across the Bay Area, with exciting event activations taking place daily. To ensure everyone was informed about the various locations, venues, and activities, we designed a series of flyers aimed at spreading the word and maximizing participation.
To streamline the creation of the flyers, we developed customizable Figma templates. This allowed us to produce high-quality materials quickly and efficiently, ensuring that each event was well-publicized and accessible to the community.
In the Wild
As the buses arrived, each stop transformed into a vibrant celebration of basketball culture. Backboards were emblazoned with the Show Bay Love identity, energizing each location and serving as a backdrop for the community events.
We also crafted a line of custom T-shirts and sweatshirts that created a sense of unity among participants, showcasing the spirit of Show Love in the wild.
Brand Partnerships
During All-Star Week, the Hoop Bus teams up with a variety of brands to enhance the experience through exciting activations and celebrity appearances. This year Blue Bird Corporation donated a brand new zero emissions EV bus for the tour. To celebrate, we designed a distinct pattern, logo lock-up, backboards, social media announcement, and bumper stickers.
In addition to Blue Bird Corporation, other partnerships included NBA 2K, NBPA, and Gatorade. We developed unique sets of branded materials for each activation.
Court Restorations
Part of the Show Love initiative is to uplift local communities by refurbishing and restoring basketball courts, ensuring they’re left in better condition than when they arrived. This effort not only enhances the physical spaces but also fosters a sense of community pride and engagement.
We proudly assisted in design elements for two refurbished courts in Oakland and San Francisco’s Mission District.
The Courts
The Dope Era court is a minimalistic dream, embodying simplicity and cleanliness while delivering a bright and optimistic punch of color to the community. The uplifting design invites players of all ages to engage in the game. For this court unveiling, we crafted not only the court itself but also custom backboards and vibrant T-shirts.
The St. Peter’s court in San Francisco’s Mission District on the other hand is anything but minimal. We supported this effort by designing backboards and T-shirts that matched the colorful and artistic vision for the court.
Positive Impact
Hoop Bus was able to carry out eighty-one hours of programming over ten days, serving thousands of students, youth, families, and basketball enthusiasts. Our focus was using design to help increase the visibility of Hoop Bus, ensuring its positive impact reached an even broader audience.
Shortly after All-Star Week, the Show Bay Love event branding was recognized online by Brand New and Fonts In Use.