The Saul Bassification of the Predators' Logo

by Sam Page on Jun 23, 2011 12:01 PM EDT in Sports Business

The new Predators logos, revealed yesterday, immediately reminded me of the work of legendary graphic designer Saul Bass, and some recent changes to his iconic logos. Bass is probably most well known for his title sequences in many all-time great films from directors like Scorsese, Kubrick, and Hitchcock. He also designed, however, some incredibly enduring and familiar marketing logos, like Bellsouth, AT&T, Warner, Kleenex, etc.

This post at Christian Annyas details the lifespan of Bass' work. Several of his logos, over 50 years old, are still being used, with no changes in design. Others have been subsequently redesigned, after Bass' death, by other firms. And in my opinion, nearly every redesign made the logo worse. Take AT&T and Dixie for example:

I think in each redesign, certain timeless elements were lost. Some people might find those originals dated, but making things 3-D is or diagonal is not my idea of modern--it's just busier. And I think that's the point: logos are images meant to be seen 1000's of times at a passing glance, whether in grocery store aisles or hockey rinks. The old Preds logo may look better upon close inspection, but that's not a typical interaction with a brand symbol.

Personally, I hated the detail of the old logo. It contained 5 (arguably 6) different colors and was obsessed with photo realistic shading. It looked more like a drawing to me than a sports insignia. The best part about the new one is the distinctive white tooth.

The downsides of going this route is that it might look a little more "cartoonish," a potential concern since we're dealing with a killer animal here, and not Kleenex tissues. One hedge against that would have been to leave out the blue pupil in the eye. From my perspective though, sports jerseys are always going to be necessarily cartoonish. There's no advantage in having the scariest sweater on the ice. And this new design benefits from the familiarity of the same basic shape.

Ultimately, I'm holding off total judgement until the new jerseys are revealed. I think in the context of the new home sweater, the already much-maligned gold stripe will make more sense (beats that dumb teal stripe in the old one, anyway).

But the overarching change aesthetic signalled here seems positive. The Predators have done well to tread the very fine line between not selling out to a phony vintage Original Six look (a la, the Lightning), and still becoming more distinctive. Going with the black and blue thirds would have been an attempt at being classic; but timeless and modern now seems possible and a better way to go.

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Comments

Well

I thought I would win the Most Obscure Reference award when I compared the machinations of the NFLPA to the Hanseatic League in today’s Scene.

But then Page goes all Saul Bass on me.

Well done. Good piece.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

I like the old one, I like the new one.

Withholding judgement until the jerseys are shown tends to be the general consensus with everyone, but I have high hopes! The mustard jerseys, in my opinion, represent the worst possible gold scenario, so it can only go up!

Before anyone flames the crap out of me, I have some nostalgic love for the mustards, but they’re still ugly. ;-)

EASports' NHL 11 doesn't suck; in fact, it's really damn good! Wait, what!?
Go Predators!!!

by Poiju on Jun 23, 2011 12:19 PM EDT reply actions

Exactly

I don’t understand why this has to be either/or. I like the old one, too, but it’s also super-1990s with all those colors and that bizarre tealish thing happening with the stripe. It needed a little update and it got it. It’s not like they went Sabres and put a slug on the sweater.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

THERE IS NO TEAL ON THE PREDS LOGO! It is STEEL, not teal. Teal has never been one of our colors. Also, looking at the ‘gold’ around the old logo and on the new, I think they are going to look good. It must not translate to the web very well.

World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer

by cisar on Jun 23, 2011 3:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

THERE IS NO TEAL ON THE PREDS LOGO!

Not anymore, thank Goc.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions

There was never any teal in the Preds logos. The ‘62-’63 logo was turquoise, not teal.

World Wide Weber.
There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.
~Joe Strummer

by cisar on Jun 23, 2011 4:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

to me, less is more. in almost everything. i love the simplification of the logo. and i’m very excited about the gold/yellow jerseys.

by HartnellsMop on Jun 23, 2011 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

I’m holding out to see the jersey as well, but I’m really in love with the way the navy, gold, and silver have all looked. I don’t care about losing the other colors, but the silver being gone (if it is totally) will make me sad.

by WTPuck?! on Jun 23, 2011 12:33 PM EDT reply actions

Sole Ass-fication Is More Like It

The logo got a total hack job. I get it, simplify the logo but it looks like a compromise and not a solution. No love was put into it.

by Brenthrax on Jun 23, 2011 12:43 PM EDT reply actions

Oh and about the random colors thing...

Look at the Blackhawks. Best logo in hockey and it’s got random browns, yellows, greens and looks bad ass.

by Brenthrax on Jun 23, 2011 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Since when are we the Blackhawks?

by Patten on Jun 23, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah! Why can’t we have an incredibly cartoonish logo of a stereotype, too?

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

My smartassness notwithstanding, there are also plenty of iconic logos in hockey (and other sports) that are one or two colors, too.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Concept Jersey

Here is a link to a concept jersey. Dont expect it to be exact but some food for thought. ’

http://www.icethetics.info/concepts/

by bvkv09 on Jun 23, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

Oh...

hmmm…

EASports' NHL 11 doesn't suck; in fact, it's really damn good! Wait, what!?
Go Predators!!!

by Poiju on Jun 23, 2011 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Not even close

At least it’s not even close to what I was shown in the focus group, but who knows. Maybe there were some drastic changes. The primary logo coloring is different from what I saw too.

by Predaceous on Jun 23, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

My thoughts after my initial reaction...

…would anything really similar to what we’re getting really leak that easy?

EASports' NHL 11 doesn't suck; in fact, it's really damn good! Wait, what!?
Go Predators!!!

by Poiju on Jun 23, 2011 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Put the new logo in those sweaters...

…and I absolutely love it.

I especially love the gold on top of the sleeves on the away.

"The Final Countdown" is now playing in your head. You're welcome.

by Michaeltastic on Jun 23, 2011 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

As a Lightning fan

upset about the departure from any tradition we had, I think y’all did well here. Kept important continuity, but still managed to simplify in positive ways. I don’t know about the orange stripe, but I guess we’ll see how it fits with the full kits.

Heel for school, Vol for life!

Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!

by Incipient_Senescence on Jun 23, 2011 1:38 PM EDT reply actions

Personally, I like your new kits a lot. Just goes to show in these conversations – never are you going to make everybody happy.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

The new Tampa Bay jerseys..

the one with BOLTS across the front remind me of my marching band uniform from LHS.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 23, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Lebanon or Lavergne? Or somewhere else?

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 23, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

LaVergne

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 23, 2011 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't like the Bolts alternate at all, but it seems pretty popular

I think the new logo may grow on me (and I really like the new shoulder patch), but I’m disappointed at the complete absence of black and silver, which have been the TBL brand for twenty years. At least give us an alt or something.

Heel for school, Vol for life!

Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!

by Incipient_Senescence on Jun 23, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I think they're nice

but a little too far from what was already a fine set of jerseys

by Sam Page on Jun 23, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

my thoughts as well

they aren’t an embarrassment or anything, they just don’t have enough cohesion with the tradition of the franchise.

Heel for school, Vol for life!

Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!

by Incipient_Senescence on Jun 23, 2011 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

The Fangs

It’s the familiar crest simplified so it shouldn’t roil up a lot of juices. My only issue is the fangs. The old ones seemed to gleam with all that detail. I don’t particularly mind taking out the old fangs, but why not replace them with a matched set? As it is, one is white and the other is blue. Oh, it’s Bluetooth, you say? My my, how terribly contemporary.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jun 23, 2011 2:06 PM EDT reply actions

The Skull!

Ever since they put it out there, I have been in love with the skull logo. I know the story of the league saying it was ‘too scary,’ (this from a sport in which people get their backs broken on a semi-regular basis), but I wish we’d go that route. It’s basically one color, but could incorporate the silver shading, and would make a HELL of a crest.

Guitar Pick is ok, no complaints there. Pretty excited to see the new kit. I’m hoping for NO PIPING. I cannot stand piping. Which is why I love the Tampa rebrand. Simple is brilliant.

by James Bonomo on Jun 23, 2011 2:15 PM EDT reply actions

HERE'S MY PROPOSED FIX

CALLING ALL PREDS FANS! Please join with me in banishing this new logo before it happens. It’s total amateur hour garbage and needs to stop before it starts! Below is my 2 minute MS Paint fix of the updated logo attempt. I think you’ll agree it’s way better and grandpa won’t even notice it changed. The fans rallied in Tampa and got their management to stop completely destroying their uniforms and we need to be heard and do the same now!!!

by Brenthrax on Jun 23, 2011 2:19 PM EDT reply actions

My image didn't load - here's the link:

http://twitpic.com/5fqit2/full

by Brenthrax on Jun 23, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

hate to break it to you

but the fans in Tampa didn’t get a whole lot changed. They got the bolt pants re-added, which I grant is awesome, and some black outlines, but the re-branding was unaltered.

Heel for school, Vol for life!

Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!

by Incipient_Senescence on Jun 23, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm well aware...

when they came out they looked like the “The Maple Wings”. When the fans didn’t lavish praise they at least added back some of the character. Why a team named “LIGHTNING” in Florida thinks they need to look like a cold weather team from the 1920’s is beyond me. But that’s a fight for a different thread.

Honestly I’m on board for however they want to re-brand but don’t try to sell me on a logo that looks like a Mexican bootleg or a kid in 5th grade art class made it. In no way is it an improvement. My proposal just cleans up their mess and lets them get on with their re-branding.

by Brenthrax on Jun 23, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t really think its a big enough change to get this worked up about… Now if they trade Weber for a first round pick that they spend on a defenseman or a goaltender… THEN I’d be up in arms.

There's only two kinds of teams in the NHL: Predators and prey.

by Predanooga on Jun 23, 2011 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Like The New Logo

Plus the guitar pick logo is pretty sweet too. I’m looking forward to whatever the jerseys come out as.

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jun 23, 2011 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

So...

Has it been confirmed that our away jersey will not be yellow?

I was really hoping for an away yellow and home blue.

"The Final Countdown" is now playing in your head. You're welcome.

by Michaeltastic on Jun 23, 2011 3:40 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t like it. The old one showed it’s icy edge and attitude. The new one looks like a stupid bangle tiger.

by Curtis Stolaas on Jun 23, 2011 4:11 PM EDT reply actions

Saul Bassification of Predators Logo

Thanks for the solid design jam with creds to the outstanding work produced by Saul Bass. For a multimedia example of this mark master, check the Movie Title for West Side Story.

by Kent Looft on Jun 23, 2011 8:41 PM EDT reply actions

BRING BACK THE BLACK AND BLUE.COM

BRING BACK THE BLACK AND BLUE.COM
Sorry… I couldn’t sleep. I had a yellow accident running through my head with a snot covered Gnash on it. These things look so GIMMICKY. I hate the whole guitar string/guitar pick. You would never see a cream of the crop Hockey Franchise with such a gimmicky jersey and all new logo. It is really sad.

But to the point above… I have no skill in web design but would pay money to someone to start up a website called: BRING BACK THE BLACK AND BLUE.COM. The 3rd Jersey set our team apart and looked AMAZING! It was only around for 2 years which is a shame. The damn mustard jersey last longer then that!!! I really hope someone can create this site.

by Smashville98 on Jun 24, 2011 5:09 AM EDT reply actions