Brainstorming Sessions that Begat the Marlins Logo

Marketing Executive #1: Hello everyone and thank you for coming in today. Here are your Blue Sky thinking sheets.

Andre Dawson: Uh? My Blue Sky sheet’s blank.

Marketing Executive #2: Yes, it’s a blank sheet for you to use in our brainstorming exercise.

Andre Dawson: So why did you call it… never mind.

Marketing Executive #1: Okay it’s time. Please clear your minds. Listen only to the sound of my voice as I soothe away the outside world. We’re ready for inspiration here, and we’re opening our minds. Slowly opening our minds. Slowly exploring the darkness, and expanding above this room.

Jeffrey Loria: You’re fired.

Marketing Executive #1 swallows a cry, collects his stuff, and walks out the door. Marketing Executive #2 shifts a seat to the left and doesn’t miss a beat.

Marketing Executive #2: What Jim was trying to say was that it’s time for this breakout group to write down all the words that come to mind when you think of Miami. We’ll make a word cloud from that and it will inspire our graphic designers. So, go! Write!

Furious scribbling from most of the room. Andre Dawson seems to be drawing a doodle. After a while, everyone starts staring out the window. Marketing Executive #2 takes that as a hint and coughs.

Marketing Executive #2: Okay, let’s turn those in and see what our back-of-napkin work has created.

Marketing Executive #2: Well, uh, now it’s time to tell a story using the word cloud. That story should really be the ‘backstory’ that informs the logo, and will provide our designers with inspiration. So with your… unusual word choices, the story would go a little something like this:

Marketing Executive #2 takes a nervous look around, rattles the print out, and launches into a story against his better judgment.

Marketing Executive #2: It’s a muggy, hot day in Miami and a gigolo with gorgeous chest hair named Stanton is driving his shiny Impala through a Cuban neighborhood in Miami. Our bacon-smelling hero from Mexico is listening to baseball as the sun sets and casts an orange glow on the teal car. His thoughts drift from the art deco hotels to baseball to boobs as he passes a mediocre salsa club and checks out the clientele. He notices a sharp dressed man fleecing morons in the crowd as it starts to rain. The man sees Stanton and begins to run. It’s time. After switching the radio to Maroon 5, he throttles the old engine and begins the chase. Now’s the time to get that LoMo. Later he’ll get some boobs.

Jeffrey Loria: You’re fired.

Marketing Executive #2 throws down the paper disgustedly. He’s resigned to his fate, though. He knew it was coming. So he settles himself and walks out with his head held high. He doesn’t look at Loria, who is shaking his head, disgusted. Marketing Executive #3, who was an intern before the last marketing meeting (and subsequent firings), settles into the vacated seat with a look of fear. There is silence for a while.

Marketing Executive #3: Mr. Loria? What would you like me to do with these things?

The young executive motions to the word cloud and scribbled story that the last executive left behind.

Jeffrey Loria: Send em to the designers.