The official event logos for Kentucky Derby 2013 and Kentucky Oaks 2013 were released Tuesday by Churchill Downs.
Both logos were designed by SME for the fifth consecutive year. SME explored a contemporary vision for the design of the 2013 event marks with the bold use of negative space creating a lighter, less traditional feel than previous iterations. The official colors for Kentucky Derby 139 are blue and yellow. As usual, the official color for Kentucky Oaks 139 is pink (magenta) and its logo companion color is green.
“Our valued partnership with Churchill Downs has seen SME develop the official event marks for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks since 2009,” said Edward O’Hara, chief creative officer and senior partner of New York-based SME. “Both the Derby and Oaks with their rich history truly transcend the sport of horse racing and today represent icons in America’s social and cultural calendar. At SME we strive to protect this cultural heritage while continuing to point each brand towards the future.”
The Kentucky Derby 139 logo features the ‘KD’ initials as the primary graphic element with a single Thoroughbred sweeping through the middle, symbolizing a leader emerging from the track.
The Kentucky Oaks 139 logo highlights the iconic stargazer lily while conveying the light and airy qualities of the negative space within the Oaks mark.
Both logos also showcase the Derby and Oaks “icon” marks – golden horseshoes with a red rose for Derby and a pink stargazer lily for Oaks – embedded within the overall logo design.
The $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) is annually staged on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Last year, an unprecedented 165,307 were in attendance, which broke the 2011 record of 164,858.
In recent decades, the day prior to the Kentucky Derby, known as Oaks Day, has grown to become the third largest attended horse race in America. This year’s crowd was 112,552, which marked the 12th time in the last 13 years that attendance has topped 100,000. Its focus on fashion and celebrities rivals Derby Day and features a “Ladies First” theme, complete with a “Pink Out” to raise vital funds and awareness for cancer research.