TAILGATE CLOTHING CO.

Tailgate Clothing Co. looked at sport through the culture around it, not just the game itself. A tailgate brings together team pride, school spirit, rivalry, food, drink, music, friends, and celebration, creating a natural bridge between sport and pop culture. That point of view shaped a broad licensed graphics business across NCAA, NFL, NBA, and MLB, as well as music and other third-party licenses.

The NCAA work shown here reflects that larger approach. Each school was treated as its own culture, with research going beyond logos and colors into fight songs, mascots, chants, championships, coaches, players, traditions, vintage garments, and archival details. Creative direction connected teams in Iowa and New York around a shared process rooted in history, culture, technique, and detail, creating product that felt specific, considered, and true to the customer.

THE GRAPHICS SHOWN BELOW ARE THE RESULT OF THAT APPROACH IN PRACTICE. THE TEAM PUSHED BEYOND THE EXPECTED REFERENCES, UNCOVERING DETAILS, STORIES, AND VISUAL CUES THAT COULD BE REINTERPRETED THROUGH A MODERN LENS. THE GOAL WASN’T SIMPLY TO REFERENCE A SCHOOL’S HISTORY, BUT TO HONOR IT, CREATING GRAPHICS THAT FELT FRESH WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS THAT MADE EACH SCHOOL DISTINCT.