New Bolts Logo Already All Over
Sunday · Feb 6 · 2011 | 3:41 PM PST
The Tampa Bay Lightning are wasting no time in getting their new branding out there. It started with the arena, of course. From what I understand, as of Friday, you can barely find the old logo in the St. Pete Times Forum anymore, including center ice.
Despite that, the team cannot wear their new uniforms and logo until next season. They also can't sell jerseys until after this season ends. But that's not stopping the marketing machine. And they've already got FOX Sports building brand new broadcast graphics.
Today's Super Sunday game against the Blues was not televised by Sun Sports today, so I had to watch on FOX Sports Midwest. And they already had the new logo built into everything but the animated wipes.
New Lightning logo already built into TV broadcasts / FOX Sports Midwest
It looks great, but why not use the version without the TAMPA BAY text? Isn't the point of the new logo to be an iconic symbol on its own? Guess that'll take a little time.
Now I don't know if this is a new development or if the new logo was in use on Friday night when the Lightning faced the Capitals. It was blacked out on GameCenter Live because NHL Network carried coverage. I won't be able to take a look until later tonight.
Meantime, here's a look at another graphic. You can also see here that the new logo is painted at center ice and even on dasher board advertising. So there's no turning back now.
And lastly, here it is on the FOX Sports scoreboard graphic. It features a darker blue than we saw on the uniforms when they were unveiled.
The Lightning wore their blue third jerseys for today's 4-3 OT win in Tampa. According to the team CEO Tod Leiweke, the BOLTS sweater will be retained next season. He didn't get into specifics as to whether they'll keep the black and gray, but I assume they'll at least put the new primary logo on the shoulders.
By the way, I realize NHL marketing rules prevent the team from changing uniforms midseason, but there's actually a precedent for NHL teams unveiling a new logo before summer. Graham Y. wrote in with this:
I was in Minnesota during the final days of the North Stars and remember an issue they had while changing their logo and uniform scheme.
With some obvious foresight to the move to Dallas, then owner Norm Green commissioned a new logo with just "Stars" across the front. They announced the new identity late in the season before the change just like the Lightning did.
Late that season the training staff on the bench began wearing windbreaker jackets with the new logo and the team was notified by the league that they would have to wait until the next season to begin using the new logo. I am not entirely positive but I think they were even fined for the early use.
Neither Graham nor I could track down any confirmation for the story, so I wondered if anyone else knows anything about it. The logo changed for the 1991-92 season, so presumably this all went down during 1990-91. I'm sure Icethetics readers would love any additional information.
Lightning rebrand web presence / TBL.comBy the way, I mentioned on Twitter last week that the Lightning have already started the brand transformation of their online presence.
Their website now features the new colors and logo as well as this background image (right) of Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis in the new sweaters.
Presumably, those photos were taken on Monday when the jerseys were unveiled. The players skated around in them a little bit.
The new marks can also be found on the club's Facebook and Twitter accounts.
So they're going all out here — or "all in," you could say — and certainly committing to the new brand. It's just surprising to see that commitment coming so soon.
This should be the last Lightning post for a little while — unless they get permission to change uniforms midseason too. At this point, I think we get it.
And the February update to NHL JerseyWatch 2011 should be coming in the next day or two.
Reader Comments (58)
BTW Jared, you are being a fool. The new lightning look is the only thing new right now and more content on anything is better than no content. So Chris don't hold back, post up! My only question is.. what happened to the bad news we were supposed to hear this week about the panthers????
jesus christ lol, some people are such douche bags :D i.e. jared, alex and BrianB23 lol. Ignore em chris, some people are rediculous. Happy to see all these posts on the new logo and uniform, been a lightning fan since about 95, logo is different but interesting and the jersey is sick. MORE POSTS ON THE BOLTS XD lol. Keep up the good work chris
Hey Chris : When RBK took over, many (me included) bemoaned the ridiculous vertical piping (Bettman stripes) that become en vogue. Each year, we seem to see more and more teams move away from them, with FLA joining that list. Would it make a worthwhile article (maybe during a dry spell) to document how many teams have changed to more traditional striping / or a "final countdown" of sorts until all the Bettman stripes are gone. We're knocking that number down steadily, season after season...thanks for all you do.
Slam - I am familiar with breezers (or shells). My point is that it would be logical for Reebok to give them to the Bolts for these pics as they are supplying the jerseys. The RBK jerseys are a joke - stripe patterns that look so unnatural just to fit their jersey template, and the silly rounded waist. I am hoping they go away just as the NFL is doing.
The Chicago White Sox debuted their 1991 uniforms on-field during the last home game of the 1990 season...so there is some precident of a team changing their uniforms in season. The Pittsburgh Pirates changed their uniforms completely in 1970 when they switched from the vests to the double knits (of course this was in tune to them moving from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium at mid-season as well).
Personally, I loved the Ducks' coverage of their third jersey. If the Ducks were rebranded (please, oh please, oh please, oh please), I feel they'd get just as good coverage as Lightning. That's why we're here, right? We wanna see the new stuff. We wanna be the first. You da man Chris. Keep at it.
Didn't the Penguins change colors mid season from the blue(s) and white to black and yellow?
Glovesave, the endorsement contracts for players would probably forbid them from wearing the Reebok shells. So why would they?
Also, the Tampa uniforms have grown on me. Ever since some poster mentioned retro sci fi, that's been kicking around. And I just can't shake that image now. 1950's pulp fiction and sci fi flicks, complete with robots made of cardboard covered in tinfoil.
And I like that. The problem with the leafs still remains, but the I think over the long term, the new unis will succeed.