Earlier last year, the new name, logo, and uniforms of the NHL’s newest team in Seattle were finally unveiled. The Seattle Kraken, to the joy of many fans, was the chosen name for the new team. The Kraken’s design of their name, logos, and uniforms was extremely speculated in the sports logo and uniform design community (yes, that’s a thing, and I am a part of it). Luckily, the unveiling of the team name, logo, and uniforms was well-received. I thought it was well fit to do a thorough evaluation of what I believe the biggest piece of design for the Pacific Northwest in recent memory.
The primary logo is a giant “S” the conceals the curvaceous tentacle of a Kraken, as well as a menacing red eye. Overall, the logo is actually quite clean and simple compared to most logos around the National Hockey League. I believe simplicity was the right way to go for this, as this is the maiden identity for the organization and will most likely slowly be modified over the course of the next few years. Without the red eye, I fear the logo would’ve been too bland and forgettable, so I love the touch of contrast in the primary logo. For those of you who do not know, this large “S” logo is most likely a nod to the history of professional hockey in Seattle. The Seattle Metropolitans, The Emerald City’s first NHL hockey team, won the first modern Stanley Cup in 1917. The team also had a large “S” in the middle of their sweaters, and I have to believe that gave some inspiration to the Kraken with their primary logo. The primary logo is the perfect balance of simplicity, but it still has a meaning and character lurking in the shadows. The simplified tentacle and contrasting red eye make for something interesting that could go on to be one of the many iconic logos in the NHL’s history.
Now the secondary “anchor” logo is the sneaky hero of this whole rebranding. The combination of the Space Needle and an anchor is so simple, yet elegant. It was a move that was waiting right there to happen, and I love that they went with it. However, the logo in some respects can seem to look a bit plain and unsuspecting. I believe that there needs to be an extra element to the logo. Possibly another tentacle wrapping around the anchor? Or even just a dash of red to harmonize with the primary logo more effectively. However, I feel that this logo works extremely well as a secondary logo. It should not be so busy and distracting to the point where it overshadows the primary mark. For example, when looking at the Kraken’s uniform, the secondary logo is perfect how it is on the shoulders of the sweater, but I still feel that overall it is at about 85%.
The script logo displays “Seattle Kraken” in a sans serif font and a blackletter-type serif font that gives the feel of a gloomy maritime scene on the Puget Sound. I most of all appreciate the variety of both words, “Seattle” being in a more sans serif understated typeface and a larger “Kraken” being in a beautiful two-tone calligraphic design. There is not much else to say about this logo, I feel it fits well overall with the rest of the brand. It looks like the Kraken are really going for this maritime feel, which I appreciate… even though most of Seattle is just a bunch of coffee-drinking employees of the tech industry.
The Kraken’s color palette has the maritime feel that the overall design is going for. The different tones of blue and teal are very nice that gives a dark and disturbing oceanic feel, and the red brings a fire to all that darkness that can be seen as bold and courageous. I do feel though that there are too many colors on the official team color palette. Look at the most iconic sports teams of all time, usually, they only have 2-3 colors. I believe a more simplified color palette would work much better instead of a 5-color selection.
I believe that the design is one of the best pieces of sports design of 2020. The branding represents a city of history that needs a new team to cheer on, and a new sport to spread through the Pacific Northwest. Overall, I feel that this new identity will have a lasting impression on Hockey in the PNW and will be easily adaptable to the decades to come. I cannot wait to go to Seattle, buy an $11 Coors Light, and see those colors, logos, and uniforms for the Kraken’s maiden season in the winter of 2021.
