Today the Washington Wizards officially returned to their roots, unveiling their new look for the 2011 NBA season. After Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis took over the team last June, rumors had been swirling of Washington’s NBA franchise returning to the old Bullets name and patriotic colors. Avoiding the still controversial “Bullets” team name, the Wizards did indeed return to the nostalgic “stars and bars” uniforms.
During today’s press conference, the Washington Wizards announced that they would not only be returning to the iconic “stars and bars” uniforms, but they also unveiled two new secondary logos, which resemble to “old” look from the Bullets era and a modified version of their current Wizard logo.
“Our new look pays homage to the past while pointing to an exciting future,” said Wizards Executive Vice President of Business Operations Greg Bibb.
The Wizards did not change their look just for fun nostalgia reasons, but instead, their overall transformation is the final step in the unification of Washington sports at the Verizon Center, which includes the Washington Capitals (NHL) and Washington Mystic (WNBA). While the change is clearly the influence of owner Ted Leonsis, who now owns all three teams that call the Verizon Center home, I think it is the best overall move for the rebranding and marketing efforts of the Wizards. It brings all three teams together, while creating a fan base that spreads across three professional sports realms. The patriotic color scheme also helps in their marketing efforts, reminding fans of each team’s home in the nation’s capital.
All three teams are officially a complete package, which seems to be a refreshing and much needed boost to the Wizards franchise. As a DC-area native, I personally think this is an exciting move made by ownership, as well as a simple and smart rebranding effort made by Monumental Sports & Entertainment ownership group.
Katy Fincham is an Associate Account Executive at Maroon PR. Contact her at Katy@MaroonPR.com
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