Did the New Jersey Nets tease their Brooklyn logo?

[andrewharrington]

Now that they mention it, I can definitely sense the nostalgia.

People these days might not be familiar with these types of subway rollsigns, but for about 3/4 of the 20th century the rollsigns all use this style (before they switched everything to Helvetica). Very quintessential New York.

While the feel is there, the authenticity is not. There's a big difference between creating an actual reproduction of a rollsign font (how it should have been done) and typing out the lettering in Akzidenz Grotesk Condensed and adding a round stroke (how it was actually done).

The concept and planning behind this identity is good, even great, but there's too big a gap between 'how it should have been done' and 'how it was actually done,' meaning that the artwork and execution of the ideas is of very poor quality. As a craftsman, you know when you build a nice table you should sand it smooth and finish the legs with nice dovetail joints, but this stuff still has nicks and gouges in it and legs that were attached with concrete nails and a sledge.

[thespleenenator]

Coming from someone who grew up in the Bronx, and went to Brooklyn many times, I think what I like about this logo is that it just looks Brooklyn. Not sure if that makes sense, but it's the only way I can put it.

[pittfan11]

Awful, awful logo and colors. Thank god that team is going to be irrelevant forever, so I never have to see that horrendous and bland get-up.

[Lee Noire]

I really don't like it, too bland, and if I may say so here, too ghetto for my taste.

There's that word again. It's WAY overused.

Thank you. Im not sure how this is ghetto. I know its his opinion and im all for him having one but that seems a bit ignorant to me.

[Krona]

Now that they mention it, I can definitely sense the nostalgia.

People these days might not be familiar with these types of subway rollsigns, but for about 3/4 of the 20th century the rollsigns all use this style (before they switched everything to Helvetica). Very quintessential New York.

While the feel is there, the authenticity is not. There's a big difference between creating an actual reproduction of a rollsign font (how it should have been done) and typing out the lettering in Akzidenz Grotesk Condensed and adding a round stroke (how it was actually done).

The concept and planning behind this identity is good, even great, but there's a big gap between 'how it should have been done' and 'how it was actually done,' meaning that the artwork and execution of the ideas is of very poor quality. As a craftsman, you know when you build a nice table you should sand it smooth and finish the legs with nice dovetail joints, but this stuff still has nicks and gouges in it and legs that were attached with concrete nails and a sledge.

100% agree. There's also a big gap between nostalgic and boring. Black and white doesn't have to be boring. I actually like the colors (even though I'd rather have seen black and tan), but its so rigid. I cant put my finger on it, but there isn't much life to it. I like the secondary alright, but it might as well be a badge for Brooklyn itself. i get the feeling if Jay-z wasn't attached, the reviews would be much worse. If there is a silver lining, maybe this will start a trend of simpler design in the mainstream because of Jay-z's influence.

[Krona]

...and if they really are going 100% Brooklyn, how long before the white gets more predominant and pushes the black out all together?

[Sodboy13]

...and if they really are going 100% Brooklyn, how long before the white gets more predominant and pushes the black out all together?

Well, at that point, the logo gets changed to a fixed-gear bicycle, the uniforms switch to durene with leather belts and stirrups, and the Park Slope Co-Op gets the concessions contract for Barclays Center, but doesn't serve food for the first 10 games, because someone is inevitably offended at one of the menu offerings.

[uk-owns-iu]

With these colors and that logo, they should have went with "Brooklyn 8 Balls"

Ordinarily, I would agree with the statement "black and white can be a great combination too" but not when a team has already been red blue and grey. Now it just looks like their logo was scanned on a B/W copy machine.

I also preferred the original leaked logos that had the brooklyn bridge in them. This logo is boring and bland and would only work if the team switched to Knights.

[schtee]

Similar to how in baseball a team's cap logo is far more important than its actual logo, in basketball a team's jersey is far more important than its logo. So I'm reserving judgment until we see the actual jerseys, but I feel like they will look great with "Brooklyn" in that font rather than "Nets."

The black-and-white choice bothers me. Brooklyn is a vibrant place, it's the West Indian Day parade, it's Coney Island, it's the brownstones of Park Slope, it's the rolling commercial storefront mania of Flatbush Ave. and Fulton St., it's the view of the Verrazano from Bay Ridge, it's the colorful fashions of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, it's the beautifully verdant Brooklyn College campus. In short, it's an exciting place, and these colors aren't exciting.

[Lee Noire]

Was looking at alot of the gear posted up on the nets daily site and it really makes this rebrand stand out amongst the other teams. Say what you want about the logo but i think they hit a home run when it comes down to the gear. Im rather fond of the "brownstone ballers" shirt. Im a clippers fan but id rock some of this purely for style.

[Kevin W.]

...and if they really are going 100% Brooklyn, how long before the white gets more predominant and pushes the black out all together?

Well, at that point, the logo gets changed to a fixed-gear bicycle, the uniforms switch to durene with leather belts and stirrups, and the Park Slope Co-Op gets the concessions contract for Barclays Center, but doesn't serve food for the first 10 games, because someone is inevitably offended at one of the menu offerings.

I don't know if those approach co-PoTD levels, but damn, that was funny.

[StillS]

I like simple logos, but this is caveman simple! Can it be? Could this be the WORST NBA logo since the OKC Thunder logo got shredded on this board a few years back? Instead of it looking professional and flashy, it's "gangsta". Which perfectly reflects the NBA... thug ball.

Subtle racism at it's finest.

[arnocom]

The first thing I thought with this logo

or sportswear logos.

They want to be a standard brand with this logo, a premium brand, like louis vuitton or hermes. It's the only nba logo that can be on a golfer shirt.

Sure louis vuitton would not work very well like this:

It's a bourgeois bohemian logo.

[NJTank]

Still hate the primary logo, but the alternate works much better for me.

[Lee Noire]

The first thing I thought with this logo

or sportswear logos.

They want to be a standard brand with this logo, a premium brand, like louis vuitton or hermes. It's the only nba logo that can be on a golfer shirt.

Sure louis vuitton would not work very well like this:

It's a bourgeois bohemian logo.

Thats a perfect way to describe this brand. It does work in both avenues. Side note: based on that laker logo i smell a nba concept series brewing

[gyrocol]

While the feel is there, the authenticity is not. There's a big difference between creating an actual reproduction of a rollsign font (how it should have been done) and typing out the lettering in Akzidenz Grotesk Condensed and adding a round stroke (how it was actually done).

Keep in mind that the subways didn't use a uniform font type, for example the station signage have a similar black-and-white look but inconsistent fonts. The Nets have said that they base the look on all forms of old subway signage, not just rollsigns.

The general trend is there, and I think the Nets have succeeded in going for that feel, which I believe is the goal of all this. Its obviously not an attempt to be authentic.

I do agree that the execution of the logos was amateurish at best. But the logos are only one aspect to this. The goal was to build a new identity, give a new personality to the team and sell merchandise, I think they succeeded on that end.

[TruColor]

I've posted all of the graphics on my blog:

Brooklyn Nets sRGB Graphics

[slapshot]

I've posted all of the graphics on my blog:

Brooklyn Nets sRGB Graphics

Must have racked your brain figuring out how to optimize this set, huh?

[TruColor]

I've posted all of the graphics on my blog:

Brooklyn Nets sRGB Graphics

Must have racked your brain figuring out how to optimize this set, huh?

Not one of my most taxing jobs.

[keynote]

Thx, Colorwerx.

So, the uniform script will be the arched "BROOKLYN" word mark, then?