Boy, Was I Wrong About the Jets
Friday · Jul 22 · 2011 | 7:29 PM PDTIt happens to the best of us. Bloggers, I mean. We get stuff wrong. This afternoon I tweeted what may indeed live on as my most infamous tweet ever. In case you missed it, at 12:56 PM Pacific time I wrote:
Literally, within six minutes of that tweet, at 1:02 PM Pacific time, the Winnipeg Jets tweeted this:
It was precisely at that moment I realized my previous tweet would be nullified. Why would the Jets scramble to unveil their logo — perhaps the most highly-anticipated ever — with less than an hour's notice? That is, unless it had been truly leaked. And as promised, at 4 PM Central time the Jets' new logos were posted on their website.
It's at this point you might accuse me of trusting lousy sources. Let me be clear. I had no sources whatsoever. This is all on me. I had only my years of experience in studying and writing a blog about professional sports branding and marketing at my back. Did it fail me? Or did the Jets? Well, I can't answer that without bias.
Honestly, when I first saw the leaked photo, I instantly thought, "there's no way." This is an ownership group who's been so meticulous in its branding strategy. Certainly, they wouldn't be satisfied with marketing their franchise under such a bland mark. And let me say this in the clearest terms possible: Boy, was I wrong!
The title of this post has a double meaning. First, I was wrong to tweet what I did. I should've indicated that it was my opinion rather than making it sound like a fact. Second, I was wrong to think that this team would blow us away with its branding effort. I do stand by one comment in that tweet. What a joke.
Winnipeg logos unveiled / JetsAt this point, another paragraph of expressing my disappointment could easily devolve this post into an irritating rant. And that's not really my thing. So now that you know my opinion, I'll try to handle the rest of my review a little more matter-of-factly. I'll have to start with a direct quote from True North.
"True North Sports & Entertainment felt it was important for the new Winnipeg Jets to develop a strong new identity," said Mark Chipman, Chairman & Governor of True North Sports & Entertainment. "We felt it was important to authenticate the name Jets and we believe the new logo does that through its connection to (Canada's) remarkable Air Force heritage, including the rich history and relationship that our city and province have enjoyed with the Canadian Forces."
If they felt it was important to develop a strong new identity, then why didn't they? Shoot. Caught myself doing it again. Be objective, Chris. The logo has a silver jet aligned (to the north) with a red maple leaf all set within a blue circle. And the central element meant to draw your eye is muted and fails to do so. It looks like a secondary mark.
Speaking of which, the actual secondary mark is a lot better — for a secondary mark, anyway. It has all the elements you expect from a secondary mark. I like the wings and the hockey sticks. Unfortunately, it looks like the Molson maple leaf is here to stay with the Jets' new identity. Bummer.
To be quite honest, the wordmarks, like the rest of the identity, look rushed. True North took control of this franchise just 52 days ago and only officially decided on the name less than a month ago. So I guess it's to be expected.
I'm also perplexed by the addition of a different shade of blue for the "alternate wordmark." Perhaps a third jersey with a wordmark? Wouldn't put it past these guys at this point. Speaking of which, no date has been set for the jersey reveal, but I'm not holding my breath.
However... I'm sure most Winnipeggers will love it. And that's the important thing. A lot of folks dislike the new Lightning identity but I love it and I'm a fan. That's what matters.
I figured I should address one last thing. Many tweeters have questioned whether my disapproval of the new primary logo wasn't more about my being scooped (or wrong about the leak). I think it goes without saying, but I'm saying it just in case... of course not. This idea that Icethetics has to be first with this sort of news is a concoction of its readers.
I appreciate you all and your loyalty very much, but sometimes you set this blog on a pedestal it doesn't deserve. I'm often not first with this type of news and frankly, I don't feel I need to be. All I do is share what's already out there to a wider audience. (Plus, today was an especially busy day at work so I've only just now found time in my day to update the site. Some of you tend to forget I have that day job.)
Reader Comments (145)
Wow.
Well, a couple of thoughts.
1. My first reaction was a solid 'meh', mixed with 'really?' BUT..
2. Having been educated about the nod to the Canadian airforce, I can get behind that HOWEVER..
3. If I were (A) a Jets fan AND (B) happened to not like the logo, I would feel very cheated by True North. Let me explain. I would have waited years for my beloved team to return, and against all odds it does and against other odds, I get my team name back (yay!). But have I been dealt a half-a'd logo to save True North a few days of merchandise profit? Could they not have taken their time and delivered a logo that was lovingly and meticulously polished up?
4. Speaking of polishing up I think with a few small changes the logo could really be pretty good. How bout removing the leaf? The roundel still gives connection to the RCAF, does it not. Alternatively, simplify (or just ditch) the shading on the leaf and/or jet. That ought to give it a bolder, cleaner fill. If all of that is too drastic, maybe at least brighten the jet up to provide greater contrast. Viola, no more bland!
5. If I were one of the many talented designers that put forth a really exceptional concept (I saw some great ones), I might feel a little bitter about this.
6. Well, I've got my own logo problems to deal with (Kings fan) so good luck and congrats on your new team Winnipeg!
A positively brilliant logo, simple, classy and steeped with heritage. Perhaps the sweaters will pay homage to the RCAF Flyers Olympic team as well.
A couple of points.
It is not a direct copy of the RCAF roundel.
The jet is not an f16 or f18, its a stylized hybrid version of both.
The shoulder crest has a historical element to it as well, the shape of the crest surrounding the words "Winnipeg" and "Jets" was used and is still used as a shoulder flash on military uniforms containing the word Canada.
True North obviously decided to go with an identity that honoured air force and Canadian
Heritage and nailed it. I'm glad that it didn't turn out to be a cheesey clip art logo, like Tampa's new one.
Sure, it won't sell in the US, it wouldn't no matter what it looked like .
For me, while the primary logo feels like a secondary logo, there are still some classic logos that are more simple, like the Rangers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Flyers. And all of those feels like primary logos to me.
They could probably just tweak the logo to make it feel more primary: remove the circle and replace it with outlines. Make the jet in blue shades, have white oulines for the jet to separate it from the leaf, then have a silver/grey outline for the leaf and jet on top of that. While the circle connects to the Royal Canadian Air Force, it doesn't feel fitting as a hockey logo.
Still, ok logo, but it could've been better.
This does look like a secondary logo. It's missing something. Perhaps add the word "Winnipeg" in the bottom of the circle, with the beginning and ending of the word curling up? Without something additional, I think it challenges Carolina for the worst primary logo in the league.
Don't expect Americans to understand the connection with the Royal Canadian Air Force but here in Canada it is getting great reviews. Very Canadian. Simple, symbolic and tells a story. Great logo!
As a Canadian who's father was in the Air Force I actually really like the branding of this team. It shows a ton of national pride. Is it bland? Maybe...does it seem rushed? Possibly...I respect this blog regarding the design expertise the author has so I don't believe that this most recent post is an "angry" rant. I will also note that the best point made in this post is that the Bolts new look is similar in it's simplicity (I think the secondary mark should be the primary) and that as a fan the author likes it. That being said, I'll take this new look over a cartoon any day. Maybe I'm biased regarding this siimple but bold look being a Wings fan...
Reebok bombs again. Still better then the new Predators abortion.
The first time I looked at this logo I was pretty "meh" about it and I was a little shocked that they ripped off the RCAF Roundel but once I learned that they created this logo with the intent of honouring our AIr Force, and did so with their approval, I was in love with the logo. It's a perfect homage to our military. I've part of an Air Force family and I've lived on a number of Canadian Air Force bases and this logo really speaks to me so it definitely gets two big thumbs up from this guy!
And also, over the whole F-16 vs F-18 thing, it is actually a CF-18, not an F-16. That's straight from the horses mouth, True North specifically mentions that it's a CF-18. The problem is that the silhouette isn't perfect. Everything from the tail forward is pretty good and looks like a CF-18 however the little point at the tail of the aircraft pointing down makes it look like a single engine aircraft, ie an F-16 so I think that's the confusion. If you ignore that part, then it definitely looks like an 18. Although I'll admit my first thought was that it looked like an F-16. I highly doubt that they would make that mistake though. Everyone knows we've never flown F-16s. We were close do getting them, but the fact that they are single engine aircraft scared our top brass away. With such great distances between our airports, especially up in the North, having only one engine leaves an uneasy feeling.
Cheers,
Troy
This is really disappointing for a primary logo. I see a lot of comments above to the effect of "You, don't get it, it's the RCAF logo." Yeah, I think we all get it. The problem is that it's the RCAF logo, with a jet on top. How creative. The use of the maple leaf is outrageous. I really hope Toronto protests. We have a team in the nation's capital, one called 'Canadiens' and one called 'Canucks' and they all seem to get by without slapping a maple leaf on the logo.
And a a Canadian I'll say this: We love to accuse the Americans of being jingoistic, but we are the ones that felt the need to slap a maple leaf on yet another team, and use a MILITARY logo on a hockey jersey. Are we really so simple that we'll cheer anything with a maple leaf, or that looks like a passing imitation of a beer logo? If an American sports team used a military logo they'd be rightly mocked. Trying to link hockey to the military is not 'honoring' the soldiers. It's an insult to try and equate pro sports with military service.
I like the primary and the wordmarks but not the secondary.
its a hockey team, make it a hockey logo, and get rid of that maple leaf...it doesnt matter that its a 'canadian' team or that it should be meaningful, its a hockey team. its not original, and its not a hockey logo...i expected it to be a lot better than this poo.
It looks sorta boring. They should have at least put the team name in the primary logo. If they did I would love it.
Round, retro logo on a blue jersey (we all expect them to wear blue jerseys, do we?)... Only the "winnipeg Jets" script is missing in the circle so that it could look similar to the Blues, Penguins, Blue Jackets, Panthers and Tampa Bay's secondary logo. I thought that it was meant only for alternates. Winnipeg now thinks this would be good as a primary mark. It's a good secondary mark, but not a good main logo. And since Colin M. showed us that a similar concept was created a few years ago, I wouldn't be surprised if lawsuits come flying around in the next few days.
Chris, you say that they were probably rushed to create this logo since True North became the owner of the team less than 2 months ago and had to give something to Reebok. How come the QJMHL's Armada were sold in the middle of June and less then a month later, they came up with a logo that you love? I don't think by saying that they were rushed is an excuse for this logo. It was possible to create something great even in a short time just like the Armada showed us. Maybe they should call the designers of the Armada's logo and ask them to create something new in less than a week!
wow, wasn't expecting such a negative reaction from some folks, oh well, each to their own i guess. just my opinion, but i think the new logo is actually pretty sharp, it's clean, not overly complicated, not cartoon-ish at all, i like the tribute to the RCAF element, i like the secondary & i even like the wordmarks. just hope the jerseys aren't the really plain, dull, boring rbk template (dallas / old oilers / new panthers) & please NO vertical striping!!!!
It's true it's the jets logos, wtfff i miss the old logo
I'd like to point out that anybody who thinks it's a F-16 doesn't know anything about airplanes. It's clearly an F-18 with the way the wings angle inwards on both sides. F-16s have more of a delta shaped wing; more level along the back and sharply receding into the fuselage at the front.
A couple of pennies: When I saw the logo I was excited and pleased. I feel it will become an instant classic. My roommate, who has ties to the 'peg as well as to the RCAF, was pratically through the roof with approval.
Ok, so the logo isn't groundbreaking original, but frankly, with all the people pining for the original jets identity, I think they have handled this situation with foresight and class. Instead of going for an ultra-original rebrand that would inevitiably alienate its fans and the rest of the Canadian market, the played it a little safe, and ended up going with a logo that is proud, will immediately inspire a very strong and unique team culture, and frankly, in my subjective opinion, has an aesthetic that screams instant classic.
Just my thoughts.
Curious about settling the debate on the jet though - my roomie also says it's a CF18, not F16.
Regarding the comments on the jet in the logo being a F-16... you might want to do some googling of images for above views of F-18s and F-16s. This is CLEARLY a F-18, which the Canadian Air Force DOES use.
Love the logo and its secondaries. It was a bit predictable, especialy including the silver. But I love the tradition of the Air Force logo used as a base and no dumb self-asuming wordmarks. Finaly a new team with a true logo- that is not an animal (like the days of the sabres/flyers). Finaly, a new logo design WITHOUT a cartoon animal or 3D art of some sort. Thank you TNS for advancing the professional aspect of the NHL, not demoting it to the whimsical fancies of the minor leagues. Can't wait to see the jersey designs. I hope they forgo the reebok templates and go with a more traditional look to suit the logo... maybe along the lines of a sharks pattern?
I think the logo gets the job done for the time being. It doesn't blow me away, but it doesn't disgust me, it feels comfortable. It its simplicity, allows for supposed longevity. With the right jerseys, something with less extras (I'm thinking mostly horizontal striping, three colours max per jersey), this could be a nice comfortable look.
On another note, are they rushing for marketing, like perhaps trying to get it into the release of EA Sports NHL 12?
I showed this logo to my dad after coming home from work to discover that the Jets had been branded. He looked at it intensely and said, it's the military logo, and he likes it. My dad is a long time Winnipegger and my grandfather, his dad, was in the Air Force. I am perplexed. I look at the primary thinking it's a great secondary, but they could have accomplished the same effect and link it back to the past if they used the jet outline from the 1980's Jets' logo in the maple leaf. I also think that it is ridiculous that they had to get permission from the Maple Leafs' to use the Maple Leaf in their logo. Having said that. I will get used to the new logo, but if you look at it in context with every other logo in the NHL it doesn't fit. It's odd. I hope they introduce an updated logo in five years. But, perhaps that may be just me. Hope the jerseys are good. But I wish they weren't navy blue. Royal blue would have been great.
Bad. Plain and simple. Could have done better, should have done better.
No that True North cares, they know they will make their money on these jersey's sales. Then they know when they fix things in a few years, they will get the money on jersey sales again. Smart business decision I guess. But lame hockey decision.
It may just beacuse I'm a history/aviation buff, but I really like it. I just wish the F-18, not F-16 as Jon said earlier, had a little more detail.
i gotta tell ya, when i first saw this i thought it was awful. but its grown on me.
its really linked to the canadian air force, so theres history and meaning to it.
its pointing to the north (true north), so theres corporate value.
the colors work very well together.
its very canadian, and very military. i also really dig the alternate logo.
the wordmark is also ORIGINAL. no other clubs have ever used that style of writing before.
it is very simple, yes, and it is much better than the old jets logo. however i would like to see the oldschool jets jerseys used as a third.
I think the part of the logo that I don't like is that there is yet another circle logo floating around the NHL. It started with the Wild, and then now everyone has a circle logo on one of their jersey's.
I think the symbol is great - simple, but symbolizes Winnipeg and Manitoba perfectly. The province has a long military history, particularly with the Air Force. I can see how people who are unfamiliar with the RCAF wouldn't get the logo, but to people with some knowledge of Manitoba, particularly Canadians, the new logo makes a lot of sense. Its funny, the overwhelming response is positive from Canadians, whereas our friends south of the border don't quite get it. Fair enough, but I think they did a great job here, especially in comparison to 'modern logos like the Avalanche, WIld, Hurricanes, Ducks, etc.
I like it!
I like it. I've been following the concepts on the Puckdrawn tumblr, and in my opinion, this one has the kind of weight that will give it a long life. I love the simple circle and iconic central elements. Animals biting or carrying hockey sticks has always seemed so minor league to me. I put this logo in the same class with (new) Tampa, Detroit, Chicago, & Boston.
Website background could hint to jersey striping?
http://3.cdn.nhle.com/jets/v2/ext/images/backgrounds/background_buff.jpg
As Chipman said the Jet itself refers to no specific kind of Jet, it is a generic design meant to represent the fighter Jets used by the RCAF in the past. It is a good logo, especially for it's colours & meaning. Even the company's incorporation of "True North" (in the compass symbolism) is acceptable - the True North is a symbol for Canada just as much as the maple leaf is.
My post is actually not about the logos, but it's something I wanted to say about how great this site is. Chris, I know you mention that you don't aim to be "first" with these kinds of things, but in a way, a lot of the time you actually are. This amazing site that you have built up is a juggernaut. It's the site I always turn to for news about new NHL logo and jersey news and the one I refer friends to. To be quite honest, it's the only one I can think of that has up to date stuff on what's coming in the future for any of the NHL teams when it comes to jersey and logo changes. Obviously, the Jets incident is an exception, but all you have to do is look at JerseyWatch to get an idea of what I'm saying. Whenever I show friends the JerseyWatch post they are blown away by all the information there that they had no idea about. And when you search "new NHL jerseys" on google, your site is one of the first to show up. So, don't sweat this one incident, Icethetics is fantastic!
Keep up the good work big guy.
I'll agree with the sentiment that these are pretty boring. Not bad, but by no means great. Just bland and average. I'm still a little upset that they had to take the Jets name rather than bringing the Moose brand to the NHL, a unique identity in a league that's really lacking in originality, so that could be affecting my opinion.
Really though, I think it's Winnipeggers' own fault that we have such a disappointment here. They rallied for the adoption of the Jets name, but didn't really stop to think of the implications of that. They were hoping for a full return of the old Jets' identity, when that clearly wasn't a possibility. True North wants a new identity, and any branding that comes as a result of that will be a disappointment to everyone that wanted a revival of the original Jets.
I LOVE the primary. I've always been a fan of roundels, but I love how they added the notch interrupting the northern part of the circle. I also love the use of grey... how cool would grey home uniforms be???
Great site by the way, I check here a couple times a week.
The primary would have been a lot better if the red maple leaf was removed.
I love the primary and alternate logos, but could do without the wordmarks.... I think this logo will look great on this uniform, which I am assuming is what they will go with
I don't like the maple leaf in the primary. I would rather they use the red to outline the jet or do something else in the logo. Anything but have that maple leaf disrupting everything. Not against using it in the other logos, even if the wordmarks remind me of a certain beer brand. And as far as the jet debate, it is definitely a CF-18.
Just wait... If the Jets get off to a solid start this season and the Leafs happen to sputter, all their fans will be vicious that another Canadian team is using "Their" maple-leaf. haha
Having a night to sleep on it now, this is REALLY growing on me. The two minor changes I would make to this logo would be 1.) Lose the fire at the back of the plane because its already so easy to lose sight of the jet in the red maple leaf anyways. 2.) I would outline the dark grey side of the jet with the silver colour to even further help the jet stick out. I think if they can make the jet pop out more it could really help. The secondary logo is fine but I would use a better font. All in all, not too bad.
I just hope they incorperate at least a little red in the jersey design... If you go on the official site, there is no red, just: Navy blue, silver, and that light sky blue. If you also look at the wiki page, there is no mention of red, just: Navy Blue, silver, and white... I have a bad feeling that they will not be using any red on the jerseys :S
I'm honestly surprised at the negative reaction here. It's clean and classic looking. I'm guessing with the traditional look of this logo, that the jerseys themselves will have a similar appearance, so I don't see the vertical piping some of you are complaining about making an appearance.
It kills me that you could like the Bolts new logo and not this one?!
This logo isn't great, but it is miles ahead of the new Lightning clip art logo. This at least has depth and more to it.
I don't mind it, but next to the new Lightning logo it looks amazing.
Gotta admit, I love all the Canadian posters saying that if you're not Canadian or not from Winnipeg, you wouldn't understand why they like the logo.... you know, completely ignoring the fact that there are plenty of Canadians on this site and elsewhere that don't like it, and a poll on the logo on the TSN website having it at 60% for, 40% against.
One thing that just crossed my mind is that maybe this primary mark is not intended to go on the front of the sweater as the main crest? Maybe they will simply use their wordmark on the front similar to their 1972-73 WHA sweaters? http://whauniforms.com/ The fact it is called the 'primary' mark would make us believe it goes up front, but Dallas doesn't use their primary on the front of their sweaters. Neither did the Canucks back in the old 'Flying V' days. It could also better explain the alternate wordmark. Who knows, but just throwing it out there as something to consider!
@JOHN D. You summed up my feelings to a T!
wow id rather see the stupid alanta jerseys new worst logo in the nhl
Guys: Most people have never flown a jet, will never fly a jet, and will never be able to draw a distinction between an F-16 and an F-18. What's important here is that it's a jet on the logo and not a bi-plane.
Get over yourselves.. Geez..
(Re Sweaters: I'd love to see a blue sweater with a horizontal white stripe to place the roundel in. that would be sweet, and hearken back (at least in design, of course) to the Falcons.)
I'm trying to like it. Really trying. The only part I find good is the secondary logo. The wordmark is terrible. And the main logo is just so.... unimaginative. They could have done way better. Or just have kept the old Jets jerseys.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It is what it is... the team wanted a connection to the military in some way to play off the name "Jets," and they have it. And it does seem influenced by the Moose's throwback featuring the RCAF roundel. So what's wrong with that? You have to consider what they wanted, how much time they had, and then give it time to get used to it.
I always laugh at knee-jerk comments made to new logos... there doesn't seem to be much logic to them other than the fact old or "classic" logos are usually given a wide berth and lots of respect. Can you imagine if the Canadiens logo was unveiled TODAY for the first time, instead of years ago? I can hear it now... "What, an H in a C? My two-year old could do better!"
I'm not in love with the logos of the Jets but I don't dislike them either. They're fairly clean and simple and the wordmarks remind me of the original Jets logo to a point (the one year logo from 1972). If they don't catch on, then they'll redo them. But I think they'll be fine.
They look a little Western Hockey League-ish, but by no means are they as visually offensive as some of the logos out there in the NHL. I actually think they could look fairly decent if the uniforms have a vintage look and the wordmark logos look pretty sharp.
The logos are alright. the secondary and wordmark are fine, but the main logo is lacking.