Bobby Forhan Olympic Rink

Client: iPLANcorp

Date: 2007

Objective: To develop an identity for the new Bobby Forhan Olympic Rink, pay homage to a local, Newmarket hockey legend and inspire a new generation of athletes. This identity will be applied to the hockey arena, billboard and other materials. It is also important that iPLANcorp be given due credit as the sponsor for this venture.

Target Audience: Children, families, athletes and visitors of the Magna Centre in Newmarket.

Concept: The design focused on Bobby Forhan’s history as Newmarket’s local hero and as a former member of Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team in the 1960s. It was important to pay tribute to the past by taking visual elements from that time and modernizing them.

Challenges: Creative use of stock photography and design was required due to limited materials and photography. It was also important to consolidate the message, look and feel that would appeal to all ages.

Overview: Extensive research and client meetings were required to learn and fully understand the significance of Bobby Forhan’s history. Further study of the original Team Canada jerseys, certificates of participation and scanned photographs allowed us to present a series of logo options that best captured the client’s historic sentiments. The theme is further developed in a resulting logo that focused on the Bobby Forhan name and a maple leaf to symbolize Canada within a design that resembled a hockey arena. The theme is continued in the design of the billboard display where portrait and action photos of Bobby are colourized in blue with red highlights superimposed in a collage. Further planning of the environmental graphics required multiple visits to the location during the construction of the Magna Centre. Several tests were performed to ensure visibility, accessibility and durability of signage materials. Frosted vinyl was finally selected for the environmental graphics to produce a classic look.

Outcome: The Magna Centre attracts thousands of residents every month, raising the recognition of Bobby Forhan’s legacy in the City of Newmarket and iPLANcorp’s contribution to the community.