It’s an exciting start for a team, the city and the fans, as the Charlotte Hornets kickoff the 2014/15 season with a new identity. The new logo and associated graphics, designed by Rodney Richardson and his team at Rare Design, included collaboration with Nike and the Jordan Brand, the NBA’s Global Merchandising Group and the group in Charlotte. The rebrand has been public for almost a year, but now we get the privilege of seeing it all work together, from the court to the uniforms and everything in between.
In recent history, the hornet identity belonged to New Orleans while the Charlotte Bobcats called Charlotte Coliseum home. But when New Orleans changed their club to the Pelicans, Michael Jordan, Principal owner and Chairman, pounced to reclaim their original namesake. The challenge was to create an identity that connected the power of the former Hornets with the new Hornet determination and their spirited fan base.
The new design is clean and updated yet retains a portion of their history. As with all professional teams, they will ultimately be judged by their performance, but their visual package is a great jump-start. Their new identity is strong, aggressive and memorable; let’s hope their season follows suit.
~ Lisa Schroeder, Graphic Designer, The S3 Agency
