VAN HORNE BRANDS IS
THE STORYTELLING AGENCY©
OUR STORIES CREATE THE ART OF BUILDINGS, UNIFORMS, AND BRANDS.
NO IDEA TOO BIG. NO STORY TOO SMALL.
OUR STORY
WHERE PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY.
CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE PAINTS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Just a kid from Southern California, Todd Van Horne grew up under the sunshine of Orange County in the 60's and 70's. While Todd spent most of his youth either skateboarding, surfing, or playing soccer, art and design were always close to his heart. After he finished his Bachelors of Science in Design from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1984, his first job was designing wrapping paper for a local company. When the surfwear industry took off in 1985, he became a Designer at Maui & Sons, combining his love for art & sports for the first time. At Maui & Sons, he designed products and advertisements that made the visual language of Maui & Sons stand out in a populated California surf industry. Many of these designs still live today. But when a small, upstart footwear and apparel company in Beaverton, Oregon began to make waves, Todd knew it was time to grab his board, put back on his soccer cleats, and embark on his next great adventure.
TVH & SWOOSH CREATE MILE-HIGH MAGIC
Todd began his journey at Nike in 1990 as a Designer in the apparel division, working on sports graphics and aqua gear. He quickly found success, and with Nike's increasing interest in On-Field Products, Todd was transitioned over to lead the design team in the Team Sports group. From there, he had the opportunity of a lifetime. Pat Bowlen, owner of the Denver Broncos, approached Nike about conducting a redesign with his team, wanting to tap into Nike's creative storytelling and bold vision. Todd was selected to lead the redesign and worked directly with the team and ownership to help develop their new mark and uniforms, the white steed of the plains with fire in the eyes of the horse and flame across the mane guiding the Broncos into the future. The new design brought a tear to Pat Bowlen's eye. Change was controversial, but back-to-back Super Bowl victories won over Broncos fans everywhere and set the new standard for combining performance functions and deeply-rooted aesthetics. As with any groundbreaking project, the Broncos' redesign pushed the envelope. Nike's CEO and co-founder, Phil Knight, took notice and wondered if the rebranding success of the Broncos could be applied to Nike's birthplace and his Alma Mater: the University of Oregon.
OUR TRADITION IS INNOVATION - THE OREGON DUCKS PHENOMENON
The 1999 rebranding for the Oregon Ducks changed the sports world forever. From creating color-changing helmets, performance-first stretchable fabrics, and sleek, aggressive designs, Oregon pushed the envelope and took the nation by storm. Todd led his team in combining Oregon and Nike's DNA to create a futuristic persona that catered to the next generation of athletes, centered around its new iconic "O" mark. Oregon quickly established itself in the college athletics elite, with "What are the Oregon Ducks Wearing Today? dominating sports headlines worldwide. Oregon truly evolved into an international sporting brand that transcended sports. Todd has designed or creatively directed every Oregon Football uniform that has been on the field since 1997, and continues to work with the Oregon athletic department on unique brand moments that only Oregon can do.
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This amazing work led Todd to establish the Nike Graphic Identity Group (GIG) in 2004, a team combining Nike's most creative minds that can lead rebrands for professional and college teams to enhance their brand storytelling, much like it did for Oregon. With Todd as Creative Director, the GIG team redesigned 120+ NCAA schools, NFL teams, and Olympic Federations. Todd's impact on the sports branding world has touched every part of the globe, and deepened the love of so many fans for their teams. His resumé is so long of teams he has designed for, we are not even going to try to capture them all. If you can think of your favorite Nike NCAA, NFL, or Olympic uniform from 1997 to Present Day, it was likely directed by Todd Van Horne.
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TURNING CONCRETE INTO SOUL: BUILDING LEGACY
While Todd's specialties had been apparel and uniform storytelling, he was given opportunities to expand his creative talents into working on the development of buildings and sports facilities, particularly for the University of Oregon. Working between architecture firms, sports clients, and construction companies, Todd directed vision, storytelling, and other environmental graphics that brought soul to the building. From designing large sculptures and displays to custom-code signage that offered hidden storytelling elements, Todd's creativity helped the building feel alive and deeply rooted in history, to inspire the future. To date, Todd has been the Creative Director for Hayward Field, Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, Jacqua Academic Center, 2.MO Practice Facility, Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center. Additionally, he led the team for the 2015-2020 Nike Campus Expansion, which saw the creation of the Sebastian Coe Building, Serena Williams Building, LeBron James Building, LA Garage, NYC Garage, and Coach K Fitness Center. In 2020, Todd finished his 30-year career at Nike as Vice President and Creative Director of Special Projects. On that day, he stood on the top of the Serena Williams Building at Nike, popped a champagne cork, admired the amazing legacy he had helped build, and began to think about the next challenge ahead.
A NEW DAY: VAN HORNE BRANDS BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Todd founded Van Horne Brands in 2020 to continue his pursuit of elevating sports through deeply rooted storytelling through all different mediums: Brands, Uniforms, and Buildings. He was soon joined by his son, Quinn Van Horne, who had his own design skills, building brands for the University of Oregon Athletics Marketing and Tracktown USA. Together, the two work as a dynamic duo looking to help teams and companies find their stories and purpose, and then display them to the world through compelling artwork and visuals. Van Horne Brands serves as a monument to the amazing career and work of Todd in the world of sports, and allows for opportunities to work on more unique projects and challenges.
With no idea too big or story too small, Van Horne Brands is here to chart the next generation of sports design and storytelling.
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TODD VAN HORNE
FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
QUINN VAN HORNE
SENIOR DESIGNER
