Ancaster TC refresh
It started with a hat.
You know the story : an enthusiastic club member says “I’d really like to have a club hat. Is that something we could order?” Great idea! The next question -“what will we put on the hat?” – brings the conversation to the club logo. A logo that hasn’t changed in decades.
When this happened at the Ancaster Tennis Club last fall, it resonated with club manager and tennis director, Mustapha Jamal. He’d been considering how much the club had changed with the addition of the winter bubble and many other improvements to the member experience. What could be done to match that with graphic design?
As so often happens in our community clubs, help was found among the club membership, with Jerome Marrin offering to lead the project. The challenge was to create an image that people would be drawn to, that would proudly represent the club, that would stand out and create a positive impact.
A recent conversation with Jerome walked us through the many hours and weeks of thought and work that went into the final design : questions asked, ideas considered and discarded, multiple possibilities reduced to essential elements. The church steeple on Wilson Street is a dominant location feature of the club; the bubble and a tennis ball and the rising sun share a circular shape. The final logo is simple and striking … the result of a very long process with too many considerations and decisions to include here.
The new logo was the starting point for a comprehensive rebranding exercise. Many more hours and weeks were devoted to endless detail. By February, the board was able to make final decisions, and an overnight release of the new imaging was in order. A stealth team replaced the exterior and interior signage, the website went live, and the clubhouse TV monitor carried a new slideshow. As if by magic, the club was represented by a new look … and it was terrific.
Jerome envisaged a video to capture the essence of the process in retrospect, for posting on Instagram. It’s simple but striking, and ends with the message : Welcome Home!
The most revealing part of the conversation with Jerome was his very happy memories of a first experience with tennis at a community club. It happened to be at the Dundas Tennis Club, as a young junior then a teen, learning the game from club pro Mischa Mackesy and savouring the sense of community that prevailed at the club. It was truly home-away-from-home. Friday evenings were among the times for club members of all ages to gather at the club, to play and to visit, to feel a sense of belonging.
Jerome speaks fondly of the experience that cultivated an enduring love of the game. It’s the idea of a “third place” where we find community and connection beyond home and work or school. The game of tennis has been around for 150 years, and its capacity to create that feeling of belonging has been a key part of its magic across the decades.
In the years beginning in 2019, we felt things changing within our society. Lives became more tightly scheduled. Gathering became less of a norm, being replaced with at-home entertainments provided by screens and streaming and food delivery.
But “third places” have always been central to the well-being of communities. The benefits of social interaction, conversation and community bonding flow not only to individuals but to society as a whole. Environments such as community tennis clubs stimulate creativity and innovation by bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds and fostering the exchange of ideas. They offer opportunities for personal growth through shared experiences, learning, and exposure to different perspectives.
This philosophy was at the heart of the entire rebranding exercise, and it inspired Jerome’s work throughout the winter. At Ancaster Tennis, the new logo and design are sending a welcoming message, inviting renewed enthusiasm for the upcoming outdoor season and a return to the tradition of spending leisurely time together both on and off the court. Mission accomplished!
