Charlotte Hornets - The Brand Returns!!!

SWedd523 · Post #461 » by **SWedd523** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:13 pm

A name change back to the Hornets could conceivably be done immediately. The NBA already owns all the Naming Rights, Copyrights, Merchandising Rights, or whatever to the name/logo/colors/etc. so there really shouldn't be much issue on the legal side of things

BlackOutBuzz · Post #462 » by **BlackOutBuzz** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:02 pm

SWedd523 wrote:A name change back to the Hornets could conceivably be done immediately. The NBA already owns all the Naming Rights, Copyrights, Merchandising Rights, or whatever to the name/logo/colors/etc. so there really shouldn't be much issue on the legal side of things

How about the history associated with the name?

lmcguir5 · Post #463 » by **lmcguir5** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:03 pm

Have the Bensons shown that much intention though? Yeah sure Gayle Benson the wife said she would prefer different colors, but are they really going to change? It would be just as easy for them to keep things the way they are

JGib23 · Post #464 » by **JGib23** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:29 pm

lmcguir5 wrote:Have the Bensons shown that much intention though? Yeah sure Gayle Benson the wife said she would prefer different colors, but are they really going to change? It would be just as easy for them to keep things the way they are

Well, during the introductory press conference it was something he said he wanted to change and evidently, his wife said the colors and that the name would be announced at the end of the season during the pregame telecast this week.

The NBA then stepped in with some damage control.

I believe that all the wheels have been in motion for some time.

dmutombo321 · Post #465 » by **dmutombo321** » Sat Dec 1, 2012 2:55 am

Bassman wrote:Yes, a return to the Hornets name is a no-brainer, and I suspect this will progress once the Benson's gain all the appropriate approvals from the NBA. Reading between the lines I suspect this process is well underway between New Orleans and the league, but the owner's wife's comments were a little too much info for Stern's liking. The league wants to orchestrate everything relative to timing, brand-name merchandise sales and PR, so no announcement is likely during the season.

My hope is that we are also having these discussions concurrent with those of New Orleans, so all name changes could occur immediately after the end of this season.

I believe you're right on point on all counts.

We all realize it wont change the on-the-court-product but I can think of no better way to re-energize this franchise.

The CO article is now linked on the ESPN nba front page.

lmcguir5 · Post #466 » by **lmcguir5** » Sat Dec 1, 2012 6:19 pm

JGib23 wrote:
lmcguir5 wrote:Have the Bensons shown that much intention though? Yeah sure Gayle Benson the wife said she would prefer different colors, but are they really going to change? It would be just as easy for them to keep things the way they are

Well, during the introductory press conference it was something he said he wanted to change and evidently, his wife said the colors and that the name would be announced at the end of the season during the pregame telecast this week.

The NBA then stepped in with some damage control.

I believe that all the wheels have been in motion for some time.

I would love to see the Hornets come back to Charlotte. I think we have, as many other people have noted, a tainted logo/nickname. I think it would be great to draft an impact player and then change the name of the team as to get a momentum of going somewhere better than top 10 drafts. It's not that I hate the bobcats as our nickname, I just definitely prefer the Hornets

KembaWalker · Post #467 » by **KembaWalker** » Sat Dec 1, 2012 6:23 pm

I would say the Hornets name and logo are far more tainted than the Bobcats now that they've played in another city for 10 years and all

amcoolio · Post #468 » by **amcoolio** » Sun Dec 2, 2012 1:58 am

Charlotte Hornets gear is more popular than Charlotte Bobcats gear, and the Charlotte Hornets don't even exist. Jordan would have to be crazy not to see the $$$ that exist with Charlotte Hornets. I would think he'd have to keep the teal/purple color scheme, probably with light blue added in to welcome it to the 21st century. Light blue, dark purple, dark teal. A pretty unique color scheme, since New Orleans is going to red, blue, and gold.

HornetJail · Post #469 » by **HornetJail** » Sun Dec 2, 2012 2:19 am

I'd like to see an altered color scheme, not the same one we had 10 years ago. Our current scheme with some teal mixed in would look pretty cool.

dmutombo321 · Post #470 » by **dmutombo321** » Sun Dec 2, 2012 3:56 am

If it were up to me, I wouldnt mess around with anything - just bring back the logo, branding, mascot, sound effects and color scheme from the 90s. The retro style is why the gear and apparel is in such high demand so if it's not broke, dont fix it. The Kincks finally reverted back to their 90's uniform design this year with removal of their black accents and the consensus there is that it was long overdue.

JT2006 · Post #471 » by **JT2006** » Sun Dec 2, 2012 9:05 pm

amcoolio wrote:Charlotte Hornets gear is more popular than Charlotte Bobcats gear, and the Charlotte Hornets don't even exist. Jordan would have to be crazy not to see the $$$ that exist with Charlotte Hornets. I would think he'd have to keep the teal/purple color scheme, probably with light blue added in to welcome it to the 21st century. Light blue, dark purple, dark teal. A pretty unique color scheme, since New Orleans is going to red, blue, and gold.

Star Wars isn't real and they do well on merch.

Kembastockton · Post #472 » by **Kembastockton** » Mon Dec 3, 2012 9:51 pm

dmutombo321 wrote:If it were up to me, I wouldnt mess around with anything - just bring back the logo, branding, mascot, sound effects and color scheme from the 90s. The retro style is why the gear and apparel is in such high demand so if it's not broke, dont fix it. The Kincks finally reverted back to their 90's uniform design this year with removal of their black accents and the consensus there is that it was long overdue.

If it ain't broke don't fix it! Charlotte Hornets merchandise is so universal that I once saw a little kid from a third world African country in a magazine wearing an old LJ jersey.

JT2006 · Post #473 » by **JT2006** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 1:16 am

MountBiyombo wrote:
dmutombo321 wrote:If it were up to me, I wouldnt mess around with anything - just bring back the logo, branding, mascot, sound effects and color scheme from the 90s. The retro style is why the gear and apparel is in such high demand so if it's not broke, dont fix it. The Kincks finally reverted back to their 90's uniform design this year with removal of their black accents and the consensus there is that it was long overdue.

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Then why not stay the bobcats?

HornetJail · Post #474 » by **HornetJail** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 3:10 am

Because that's broke as ****.

JT2006 · Post #475 » by **JT2006** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 3:29 am

CHA_77_Bobcats wrote:Because that's broke as ****.

Seems alright to me.

hotrod · Post #476 » by **hotrod** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 1:12 pm

This is what prevents me from buying any current Cats gear. I also here people at the arena say the same thing. I guess if I did buy Cats stuff, it would be retro once we change names. :roll:

dmutombo321 · Post #477 » by **dmutombo321** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 3:18 pm

To piggyback on MountBiyombo and hotrods' comments and further illustrate the dichotomy in brand identity – I own a single Charlotte Bobcats shirt which I wear frequently on weekends when I’m bumming around.

On more than one occasion when I’ve been wearing it out of state, recently in NY and just a couple weeks ago in FL, people have asked me who are the Charlotte Bobcats and in the same breath ask about whatever happened to the Hornets. They’re eager to talk about Hugo, Larry Johnson, Muggsy, etc and one man even told me he still had a Hornets starter jacket - yet they had no idea the team had been gone for a decade nor that the Bobcats even existed. These folks are obviously people who don’t follow the NBA and it highlights how ubiquitous the Charlotte Hornets brand was and still is.

I think its impossible for people who havent experienced both Eras to appreciate the Hornets phenomenon. During those early years, the Hornets topped NBA in attendance and apparel sales as a small market lottery team. Will a name change re-capture those feats? Of course not. But it will create buzz and still trend in both of those directions.

I don’t have any doubt in my mind that MJ, having played through the Charlotte Hornets era recognizes this and I have no doubt that the move will be made once NO re-brands. My only hope is that when it happens, he doesn’t allow his marketing folks to taint the brand by talking him into “updating” or “modernizing” it. Everything from the mascot, the uniforms, the colors, the court floor design to the sound effects are already available and already proven to be a recipe for success.

_tijo_ · Post #478 » by **_tijo_** » Tue Dec 4, 2012 4:28 pm

Honestly think that the update in colors to the light blue/dark blue/grey/orange color scheme is in preparation for a switch to Hornets 2.0. Same logo as past, but updated colors, with the light blue replacing the teal, the dark blue replacing the purple, and having the orange and grey highlights.

Liver_Pooty · Post #479 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Dec 5, 2012 12:19 am

New Orleans changing name to Pelicans (thats gotta suck). Very good chance were the Hornets within 2 years.

-Ian- · Post #480 » by **-Ian-** » Wed Dec 5, 2012 12:27 am

Pelicans is worse than the Bobcats. :lol: