Did the New Jersey Nets tease their Brooklyn logo?

[sportsfan0518]

Had the Nets decided to use some color instead, it would look nicer and they would of also been consistent with franchise history...

Even when they played as the New York Nets, they have always been a red, white, and blue team. Now that's all thrown away. Sure, red white and blue is used by too many teams, but I don't think the Nets were the ones who had to change. Another personnal reason why I have issues with the new rebranding is that I was personally hoping for these to make a full-time comeback. I guess that's not going to happen either.

That logo would have been incredible. The Nets have always been a red white and blue team and going to a bland black and white is not Nets-y. If those came back that would have been great also. I am praying that these uniforms are nice.

[Gothamite]

The Nets have always been a red white and blue team and going to a bland black and white is not Nets-y.

By "not Nets-y", you mean a team playing in a city that actually cares about them, right?

I don't think the Nets' legacy is particularly worth being bound by. Time for a clean break, a new start in their new home.

[sportsfan0518]

The Nets have always been a red white and blue team and going to a bland black and white is not Nets-y.

By "not Nets-y", you mean a team playing in a city that actually cares about them, right?

I don't think the Nets' legacy is particularly worth being bound by. Time for a clean break, a new start in their new home.

True, but the die hard fans like me will always see them as red white and blue.

[BrandMooreArt]

since everyone else is doing this (check dribbble.com) i thought id have a stab at it too. the biggest disappointment for me might be that they missed on a great shield shape. all along they had the perfect inspiration right in front of them. heres a work in progress to show m point

i suppose you could say the current shield uses less of the negative space in the bridge as its shape than above, but i dont make that connection as strongly. the straight sides should provide a better home for the type as well.

[AndrewPF]

This identity is too simple, it's like the Cleveland Browns of basketball.

[Silent Wind of Doom]

I saw this, and I've read through a good deal of the thread, and I feel that this branding is genius. Let's take a look at the whole thing:

The Primary Logo:

The logo is well done. I admit that it was really startling at first, but after seeing it a lot, I've grown used to it and grown to really like it. It is essentially an updated version of their last logo, which keeps it from completely trampling on past tradition. People talk about the 90's nature that some franchises' identities still have hanging around, and I believe the Nets logo with its weird purplish blue/gray/red combination, metallic basketball, and shine/shadow lines have been an example. The new version is more modern and reserved.

My only real complaint is that the B is a bit too plain to be featured by itself in this logo. It's a different matter elsewhere, but the primary has enough going on that it is unecessary. Also, Brooklyn is weird on the bottom and looks really tacked on, but as mentioned before the unarched version really looks beautiful. More on the text later.

Oh, and one more thing. As good as I think this looks, it's not perfect. The superimposed net I've seen posted here? THAT would have made it perfect.

The Secondary Logo:

This will look great at centercourt. It's also a great job of tapping into local culture, as when I saw this logo, I immediately saw this:

A unique way of nodding to a major company based in Brooklyn. Also, while prevalent in baseball and hockey, I don't believe there are many if any classic roundels used in basketball. It's a good look, and unique.

The Font:

This font is beautiful, and it's driving me crazy because I can't figure out where I've seen it (or at least something similar) before. And it's not the subway, because the subway lettering is more blocky and bold. Anyway, this lettering portrays what I think the Nets are trying to portray. It's not silly. It's modern and elegant.

It's also not a copy of the Dodgers script, or trying to emulate it in any way. If anything, the Nets are trying to distance themselves from the Dodgers, which is surprising and very different from anything I or I think anyone else thought. We thought they'd trade in on the Dodger brand that was already established in Brooklyn. Instead, they're trying to get away from it and create their own brand. The Dodgers have been gone for 50 years, and now only live in the minds of older ones and the fuzzy stories they've told their kids. The Nets want to market to the youth, and be in the here and now, and make themselves the new face of Brooklyn. I'll speak more about this in the identity section.

The Colors and Identity:

When I look at the colors and the fact that Jay-Z had a hand in creating this, it all comes to the realization that came to me, and which is why I considered this genius. When I look at the Nets colors, I see this:

And THAT is what Jay-Z is trying to do. Remember that he's made a fortune over the years not only with his music, but with his branding, and has made himself a New York icon. He knows what he's doing. He's trying to capture the East Coast version of the relationship the urban youth of Los Angeles had with the Los Angeles Raiders.

Black and white are strong colors. They are colors that can be taken seriously. Speaking of which, this entire identity, which I mentioned earlier "wasn't silly" kind of focuses on that. And remember that this is a city that doesn't focus on fun or silly identities. Look at the other franchises. Look at their logos. They are relatively simple. Most have existed for half a centiry. Think of how well the Gorton's Fisherman went over. The Nets chose to go with an identity that was serious, simple, reserved, monumental, and classic, which will play much better in New York. Imagine Chief Wahoo or the Nashville Predator coming to New York. Would it be taken seriously? Would people who were trying to be taken seriously wear the gear? Would anyone trying to come off as tough, say a young kid in the streets of New York or a rapper, want to wear Indians or Predators gear over something like the new Nets gear? Speaking of which, Jay-Z really did well trying to accomplish marketing to these groups with the clothing available, specifically the logo with headphones on, the logo with a backwards cap, and the wordmark with the hanging shoes. He knows about the streets, and he knows how to market to that segment and the wannabes as well.

But back to the colors. They are neutral colors, meaning they can go with any other colors, and can be worn with anything. They are also not affiliated with any gangs in New York. Speaking of affiliation, they are coming into a city with many entrenched franchises have existed for some time and have strong fan bases, and no one pays much attention to the Nets. By taking a color combination that is not in use by any of those established franchises, they don't alienate any fans of the other franchise. Would it be a stretch to say a Yankees fan may balk at wearing something in royal blue and orange, or a Jets fans to buy something red, blue, and white? Perhaps, but it would likely pull some segment of the possible customers away, and really, that's what this is all about.

I mentioned about Jay-Z trying to capture the eye of the urban youth, but it is not just that. Jay-Z knows he has his work cut out for him. He's enterring a market where the team has been mostly ignored, and Knicks fandom reigns supreme. He's trying to appeal to everyone at the same time, and I think he's actually done it. Besides the urban youth, the modern and serious tone and script appeal to the corporate crowd. If they had gone the whole nine yards with chain nets, flashy fonts, or such, they may have alienated anyone but the urban youth. How many people in this thread called THIS version "thug". Imagine if they'd gone with some of the other suggested versions.

As said before, it's a crest that can be put on a polo. Could a CEO be taken seriously wearing an Indians cap? The modern script used is elegant and high class. This along with the modern arena that no doubt has all manner of luxury boxes and luxuriant ameneties for those with the money, will appeal to the rich, the kind of crowd the Yankees worked to draw in with their Legends seating and a stadium that contains an art gallery and butcher. It appeals to those who have the money, as well as the hipsters who will not only love anything with the name "Brooklyn" on it, but support the underdog team in the market. Those older fans who pine for the days of the Dodgers will latch onto any sports team that comes into the city.

All in all, I find it to be an amazing marketing coup. Of course, that's all just talking about the fiscal/marketing side of things. How do I think of it as a logo and as a sports fan? I think it looks cool, and I think the simplicity and reserved nature fits more with New York than any of their old identities.

P.S. Whoever said the turned basketball was too "modern" is insane. The Lakers' Minnesota version may have been skewed, but when they moved to LA in the 60's they had an accurate turned version.

[CubsFanBudMan]

I enjoyed your analysis, Silent Wind of Doom. For the record, you had me at Yella...

Along those lines (well, at least Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wore it) this rebrand has me thinking more of the White Sox redesign of 1991 and how that would have been received here. (My guess: "Boring!") Now, that logo didn't have the font problem that the B has (IMO, although the subway sign revelation helps me get over that a touch), but it's pretty simple and the cap is only black and white. There's no question that the Sox cap was an instant classic in my mind. In fact, I remember the first time I saw it -- how's that for logo geekiness? I was at Hardee's and thought, "That's a cool Cooperstown Classic." (That's what some of us called throwbacks back in the day.)

But I soon found out it wasn't, and it became as popular as those Raiders caps were a few years earlier, and as I mentioned, even adopted by some of those same people who popularized the L.A. caps as a way to represent their city. The Chicago White Sox cap was everywhere, and I think this Brooklyn Nets B (with or without the ball) might have a chance of doing the same. Of course, these days everyone can get their favorite team's logo on a black cap, but everyone here knows what the B on a basketball stands for already. And that has a chance to spread, as Silent Wind of Doom suggested.

[tBBP]

since everyone else is doing this (check dribbble.com) i thought id have a stab at it too. the biggest disappointment for me might be that they missed on a great shield shape. all along they had the perfect inspiration right in front of them. heres a work in progress to show m point

i suppose you could say the current shield uses less of the negative space in the bridge as its shape than above, but i dont make that connection as strongly. the straight sides should provide a better home for the type as well.

Great minds think alike, I suppose...as I was working on my own version utilizing that same idea. (Naturally, I ain't say nothing about it though. ) I get the feeling yours will probably turn out better, though. (And that's provided I even finish mine at all.)

[loogodude90]

I have mixed thoughts on the logo. I like the simplicity of it, but I think it is a little too simple. Are their uniforms JUST going to be black and white? That's going to get old, quick. Imagine Nets vs. Spurs.

What if they inserted Dodger blue or just regular/"Royal" blue into their color scheme. Dodger blue, black, and white. They'd maintain a tie to the old school Nets, a nod to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and it would give the unis some pop. It wouldn't be BFBS because black would still be their main color. And, surprisingly, there are no teams that are just blue, black, and white. The magic and twolves come close, but they have silver and they are primarily blue. They'd still look badass, too.

I like the logos, though. They just need some color.

[Morgan33]

I saw this, and I've read through a good deal of the thread, and I feel that this branding is genius.

Genius?? It's a basketball on a sheild with generic text...

[Conrad.]

since everyone else is doing this (check dribbble.com) i thought id have a stab at it too. the biggest disappointment for me might be that they missed on a great shield shape. all along they had the perfect inspiration right in front of them. heres a work in progress to show m point

i suppose you could say the current shield uses less of the negative space in the bridge as its shape than above, but i dont make that connection as strongly. the straight sides should provide a better home for the type as well.

Great minds think alike, I suppose...as I was working on my own version utilizing that same idea. (Naturally, I ain't say nothing about it though. ) I get the feeling yours will probably turn out better, though. (And that's provided I even finish mine at all.)

LOL. Me too! Weird how actual creativity and inspiration happens once skilled graphic designers think on an issue.

[UnclearInitial]

I don't mind the use of only black and white. They're clearly marketing to the Hassidic demographic :-p

[BBTV]

since everyone else is doing this (check dribbble.com) i thought id have a stab at it too. the biggest disappointment for me might be that they missed on a great shield shape. all along they had the perfect inspiration right in front of them. heres a work in progress to show m point

i suppose you could say the current shield uses less of the negative space in the bridge as its shape than above, but i dont make that connection as strongly. the straight sides should provide a better home for the type as well.

Great minds think alike, I suppose...as I was working on my own version utilizing that same idea. (Naturally, I ain't say nothing about it though. ) I get the feeling yours will probably turn out better, though. (And that's provided I even finish mine at all.)

LOL. Me too! Weird how actual creativity and inspiration happens once skilled graphic designers think on an issue.

Like others have said, I don't think that their package necessarily suffers from a lack of "inspiration" or "creativity", they just didn't "do" it right. There's clearly inspiration - it just wasn't executed as many of us would have liked.

That being said, one of the main reasons why I fail to see the connection between the subway signs and their typography is because of how all of their words are arched, while the subway signs are straight. I think that the shield in the concept I quoted solves this problem, while looking "stronger" too (I think it's the right angles that give it this quality, not certain.)

Put some netting (even if subtle) under the wordmark, and a B-Ball and it's an improvement IMO.

[NeedlesOnVinyl]

[PoppersPop]

I don't really have an opinion as far as the concept or thought behind the logo, but the execution just kills me. I'm far from an expert at Illustrator but even I could put something together in 10 minutes that is more polished than what the final ended up being.

[BBTV]

I'm not sure how that's any more "polished" than what they settled on.

I do like the perspective of the ball better though, but I'm not sure that qualifies as more polished.

[Funkatron101]

I don't really have an opinion as far as the concept or thought behind the logo, but the execution just kills me. I'm far from an expert at Illustrator but even I could put something together in 10 minutes that is more polished than what the final ended up being.

Better, IMO. The ball lines are more aesthetically pleasing with the centered B. The cross lines provide some symmetry and makes your eye focus on the right parts.

[waltere]

Very old proven photoshop. Your point is?

[PoppersPop]

I'm not sure how that's any more "polished" than what they settled on.

I do like the perspective of the ball better though, but I'm not sure that qualifies as more polished.

Polished as in the wordmark actually fills the space within the shield without too much wonky negative space. The 'S' is still a little funky but this is an out-of-the-box warp effect.

[andrewharrington]

since everyone else is doing this (check dribbble.com) i thought id have a stab at it too. the biggest disappointment for me might be that they missed on a great shield shape. all along they had the perfect inspiration right in front of them. heres a work in progress to show m point

i suppose you could say the current shield uses less of the negative space in the bridge as its shape than above, but i dont make that connection as strongly. the straight sides should provide a better home for the type as well.

Great minds think alike, I suppose...as I was working on my own version utilizing that same idea. (Naturally, I ain't say nothing about it though. ) I get the feeling yours will probably turn out better, though. (And that's provided I even finish mine at all.)

LOL. Me too! Weird how actual creativity and inspiration happens once skilled graphic designers think on an issue.

Like others have said, I don't think that their package necessarily suffers from a lack of "inspiration" or "creativity", they just didn't "do" it right. There's clearly inspiration - it just wasn't executed as many of us would have liked.

That being said, one of the main reasons why I fail to see the connection between the subway signs and their typography is because of how all of their words are arched, while the subway signs are straight. I think that the shield in the concept I quoted solves this problem, while looking "stronger" too (I think it's the right angles that give it this quality, not certain.)

Put some netting (even if subtle) under the wordmark, and a B-Ball and it's an improvement IMO.

Exactly. Plus, I think taking the played-out pointed arch shape from the bridge is about as bottom-of-the-barrel as you can get as far as inspiration goes. There is so much more to Brooklyn than a couple stacks of bricks holding up a road. People outside Brooklyn recognize the bridge, but this is for the people inside Brooklyn.

That said, I really love the look of your shield, Brandon. Has that polished quality and modern rigidity that the actual logo is lacking. Feels sturdier. The only thing you need to do is to pull the inside corners of your N (left one up/right one down) to thin out the angled section of it. It's too heavy right now. The style of letter you chose minimizes the visual clumsiness of the word itself, making the negative space around the T look about as good as it can look. Can't wait to see how you finish it.