Client
Parkway Middle School
Location
Kissimmee, Florida (Osceola County School District)
The Challenge
The Problem: Parkway Middle School, serving 864 students in grades 6-8 in Kissimmee, had been relying on an outdated clipart-based pirate character as its logo and mascot for years. The old design was not original, lacked the visual quality needed for modern school branding, and created production issues when applied to uniforms, signage, and printed materials. Teachers, students, and parents all recognized that the pirate logo no longer represented the energy and pride of the Parkway community, but no professional alternative had been developed to replace it.
The Impact: The clipart-based logo limited Parkway’s ability to build strong school spirit and athletic program pride. Vendors struggled to reproduce the complex, low-resolution artwork on helmets, jerseys, and merchandise. The school’s visual presence lagged behind neighboring middle schools in the Osceola County district that had already invested in professional brand systems, making it harder to attract families and build the competitive identity that middle school athletics demand.
Our Task
Develop a complete Pirates brand identity system that would:
- Replace the outdated clipart pirate with a modern, original mascot character
- Create a bold, edgy design that still feels friendly and appropriate for middle school
- Build a wordmark system for athletics and academic applications
- Provide vendor-ready files with complete production specifications
- Establish a color palette that mixes passion with knowledge and inspires school spirit
- Deploy across helmets, bags, apparel, and all school touchpoints
Strategic Approach
We began by gathering input from the school, teachers, and students about what they valued in the old pirate character. Rather than starting from scratch, we identified the elements that the community connected with and used those as the foundation for a modern redesign. This approach ensured the new Pirates identity felt like an evolution rather than a disconnection from the school’s history.
The color palette was a critical component of the rebrand. We developed a combination that mixes passion with knowledge, creating an inspiring set of tones that students could rally behind on game day and in the classroom. The pirate head was designed within a shield format to give the mark structure and authority, while the bold wordmark system provided clear legibility for athletic uniforms and academic signage.
Design Development
The Pirates crest features a contemporary pirate head within a shield, designed to be modern, edgy, and unique while maintaining the friendly personality that the Parkway community valued. The character captures the spirit of the old logo but brings it into a professional standard that works across every application. A bold wordmark system accompanies the crest for uniform lettering, banner headlines, and signage.
The identity system was deployed across six primary touchpoints:
- Athletic helmets: Oversized pirate crest wrap decal for high-impact game day presence
- Spirit wear: Hoodies, t-shirts, and performance apparel featuring the Pirates crest and wordmark
- Athletics gear: Bags, water bottles, and PE equipment with brand-consistent pirate artwork
- Campus signage: Exterior and interior identification using the crest and school name
- Brand guidelines: Complete vendor specifications for color, clearspace, embroidery, and print
- Stationery and documents: Official use of the crest on academic and administrative materials
Results
The new Pirates identity transformed Parkway Middle School’s visual presence across campus and within the Osceola County district. The professional pirate character replaced the outdated clipart with an original mark that students, staff, and families embraced immediately. Vendor production issues were eliminated with the simplified, specification-ready artwork. The bold color palette and shield crest gave students a powerful symbol to rally behind, strengthening athletic program pride and overall school spirit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why redesign rather than create an entirely new mascot? The Parkway community had a strong connection to the Pirates identity. By keeping the pirate theme and evolving the character into a professional design, we preserved that emotional connection while solving the quality and production issues that held the old logo back.
How does the new brand support the athletics program? The pirate crest and wordmark system were specifically engineered for athletic applications including helmet wraps, jersey printing, and court or field graphics. Every mark comes with vendor-ready specifications for consistent production across all sports.
What makes this design different from generic pirate logos? The Parkway pirate was custom-designed based on input from the school community. It incorporates specific personality traits and visual details that make it unique to Parkway Middle School, rather than relying on stock imagery or common pirate tropes.
Read our comprehensive school branding guide.
Everything you need to know to create a kick-ass school brand that creates results.
