The rebrand and name change thread Part II

[kinghadi06]

this is not an attempt to offend anyone, but it was just on my mind because we have so many current fans and supporters that are not from the area (and I truly hope that everyone will continue to be a part of this city/franchise for more than just the nickname)....it doesn't really matter what nickname is associated with this franchise (Hornets included), but I am a big believer that we all should pretty much pronounce our city name in identical fashion (and perhaps we all do already)...I am not dictating anything, but I do know how most folks around here "say" New Orleans (and its the enunciation of Orleans that matters most)...with that said, I would like to exercise a small experiment using virtually any of the nicknames you might have heard around here....simply insert the name in two different ways....first the New Orleans ________, and then secondly the ________ of New Orleans...I would just be curious what name (names) appeal to you the most from both directions...thanks for your time and honest opinions...

going off this I was even thinking instead of saying New Orleans have it the Louisiana __________ I live in MS and I'm from LA but instead of being NO team they could rebrand it as LA team.. just wondering what yall think about that as well

[NewOrleansBBall]

This is why I feel a team names like Krewe,VooDoo,Reapers,Spirit,Soul are silly. That and many other reasons

I get what you're saying but Spirit and Soul are more understood across the WORLD and could mean different things to different people which is good from a marketing standpoint. BUT, they do sound WNBAish... I think we could make them work.. VooDoo by far is the best to me but it won't happen.

[Panic Hoops]

I like Dukes, also there are famous jazz musicians nickname The Duke. For the people who want Knights on this board the name is to generic, but you could still put a mascot, or logo that is very similiar to a knight.

Logo fits the whole concept feels southern (John Waynish), it has historic significance to the city, also has a cultural significance. It fits in with the idea of royalty, and power.

duke
1. A nobleman with the highest hereditary rank,
2. A sovereign prince who rules an independent duchy in some European countries

Attachment 3654

If your talking to me, Yea I love Dukes as well! It would be my 2nd or 3rd choice behind Brass & Arc Angels.

1) PILOTS
2) DUKES
3) BRASS

Okay thanks. Now we need a new new new poll

[djpaul89]

The point is knights is to boring, plain , dry & simple!

I don't think that's a good argument. Honestly look at the name "Saints" by itself and tell me what is so interesting and cool about that. However, the name is a unique one and the historical relevance is obvious to us with our French Catholic history, even though it's not a blatantly obvious New Orleans term like Krewe or VooDoo are. The Saints name is now rich and has endured the test of time, so I don't see why that would be a requirement.

[ATR22]

I get what you're saying but Spirit and Soul are more understood across the WORLD and could mean different things to different people which is good from a marketing standpoint. BUT, they do sound WNBAish... I think we could make them work.. VooDoo by far is the best to me but it won't happen.

Voodoo won't happen for 2 reason: 1. Its taken 2. I don't think the NBA would allow it. Its too amateurish

[ramsters60]

going off this I was even thinking instead of saying New Orleans have it the Louisiana __________ I live in MS and I'm from LA but instead of being NO team they could rebrand it as LA team.. just wondering what yall think about that as well

I will tell you that the first name that popped into my mind was the Purchase...

[djpaul89]

I would want either Voodoo or Knights. I wouldn't mind Brass.

We've been spinning our wheels on this for what, a month or two and really haven't gotten a true consensus. While Brass and Krewe have the most supporters, I don't think either one INDIVIDUALLY has a majority among us. VooDoo and Jazz have lots of supporters as well but neither name is logistically realistic right now.

We all have our different tastes and while each name from Arc Angels to Krewe and Knights to Voodoo can be rationalized with creativity and local relevance, no one has really swayed over anyone with their arguments. I want a name that's simple yet unique, not overboard or amateurish but still has a kick. Others want a local flair regardless of amateur feel. Some want anything that is ultra creative, simplicity and genericness be cursed. No one is making headway on convincing another.

What I REALLY want to know is the collective mindset and goal of this rebrand committee. If they have orders from Benson that he wants nothing generic, then Knights may as well drop dead. If he wants no duplication, then Buccaneers, Voodoo, and Jazz are out. If the new name has to have at least SOME degree of national and worldwide appeal in addition to local appeal, then Krewe can be dropped right now.

We need to know a focus. Feels like we are flapping gums for nothing.

[Trell]

I don't think that's a good argument. Honestly look at the name "Saints" by itself and tell me what is so interesting and cool about that. However, the name is a unique one and the historical relevance is obvious to us with our French Catholic history, even though it's not a blatantly obvious New Orleans term like Krewe or VooDoo are. The Saints name is now rich and has endured the test of time, so I don't see why that would be a requirement.

Saints is different, nobody what of thought of it, so that makes it unique. Knights just don't excite me & a lot of friends I just talked to about it.

[luckyman]

I don't think that's a good argument. Honestly look at the name "Saints" by itself and tell me what is so interesting and cool about that. However, the name is a unique one and the historical relevance is obvious to us with our French Catholic history, even though it's not a blatantly obvious New Orleans term like Krewe or VooDoo are. The Saints name is now rich and has endured the test of time, so I don't see why that would be a requirement.

In all honesty there is not another name like Saints in all of sports to my knowledge. I only know of a movie series and an obscure soccer team that has it today.

I also believe the football team took that name because the franchise got awarded to the city on All Saints Day. Was quite simple.

[LouisianaPride]

i'm hoping for the Voodoo as well. i dont care that some crappy Arena team has it as there are a few teams out there with the same names

[djpaul89]

i'm hoping for the Voodoo as well. i dont care that some crappy Arena team has it as there are a few teams out there with the same names

In the same city though?? Then the same arena too...

[IndyJones]

No Brass. Pathetic.

[LouisianaPride]

In the same city though?? Then the same arena too...

that might make things a little difficult lol.

i dont know if its realistic to buy the name. i'm just hoping since Benson had it the first time he'd have an attachment to it.

[LouisianaPride]

honestly i'll be happy with almost any name we get

[luckyman]

No Brass. Pathetic.

But you've got some in your proudly displayed avatar.

[ramsters60]

I would want either Voodoo or Knights. I wouldn't mind Brass.

We've been spinning our wheels on this for what, a month or two and really haven't gotten a true consensus. While Brass and Krewe have the most supporters, I don't think either one INDIVIDUALLY has a majority among us. VooDoo and Jazz have lots of supporters as well but neither name is logistically realistic right now.

We all have our different tastes and while each name from Arc Angels to Krewe and Knights to Voodoo can be rationalized with creativity and local relevance, no one has really swayed over anyone with their arguments. I want a name that's simple yet unique, not overboard or amateurish but still has a kick. Others want a local flair regardless of amateur feel. Some want anything that is ultra creative, simplicity and genericness be cursed. No one is making headway on convincing another.

What I REALLY want to know is the collective mindset and goal of this rebrand committee. If they have orders from Benson that he wants nothing generic, then Knights may as well drop dead. If he wants no duplication, then Buccaneers, Voodoo, and Jazz are out. If the new name has to have at least SOME degree of national and worldwide appeal in addition to local appeal, then Krewe can be dropped right now.

We need to know a focus. Feels like we are flapping gums for nothing.

I don't disagree with you at all, but its kinda like all the draft thoughts and opinions too, isn't it? We can offer whatever is on our minds, but its someone elses decision when it counts...

[bigdub81]

I'd really like for everybody to stop calling one another's name ideas dumb, etc. You have to remember that this is all for fun and each person has their own individual reason for wanting the team to be called by that name. When Benson folded the original VooDoo franchise I was upset because I loved the name, colors and the fact that the AFL was here to generate income for the city and actually had a decent team. The new owner of the brand, because he already owned his team, thought well enough to buy that name and everything else with it, to associate with his teams move to New Orleans.

It was a smart business move! The only problem is that the team is not what it originally was and it will never be. The same can be said if the Hornets brand goes back to Charlotte. It would only be for nostalgia and financial benefits because there is no LJ, Zo or Bogues coming out of that starting line up! In essence it would be the same for us if we were to get the Jazz back. The move would just be righting a wrong from many years ago but like many here have said, wait for the announcers to call us the Utah Jazz!

We have the golden opportunity that many have sought since this franchise first came here and that is to make this team ours! I'm not setting aside the feelings of those who love the team for the colors, name, etc. Keep in mind that if Benson is that dead set on ridding the team of the Hornets identity, other than using the brand for an eventual throwback which teams only do FOR financial benefits, why wouldn't you think he'd be willing to make some coin from MJ's pocket if he were interested in bringing the Hornets brand back to Charlotte!

It's no more a financial decision than it is a decision of whether or not it's right or wrong to give Charlotte that option. An option we never had. I'm more than sure the NBA would be in favor of it because it's a good will gesture from a new owner to a struggling franchise owned by argubly the greatest player ever to wear a pro basketball uniform! Revenue streams from both ourselves and the Carolina's are going to go through the roof if it happens on their part. We know it's coming for us!

Which brings me back to my first statement. STOP BEING SO FREAKIN MEAN! If somebody wants to call us the Cafe du Monde's....well let them have their say. You don't have to jump on them for it because it's not your cup of tea or better yet chickory, it's for FUN people! That's the whole reason I started doing my concepts and the fact that I entertain message after message for people wanting their creations fleshed out. I don't tell them it's stupid. I tell them if I'm working on it already or when they can expect to see something. Who am I as an artist to tell you that your idea is worth canal water when artist have to put up with criticism the most!

I didn't understand Corsairs, ArcAngels, Pilots, Knights, etc. at first and honestly I didn't care to. But I'm not going tho sheet on somebody's dream or imagination just because I can create a logo and feel like my time isn't worth it! I actually liked doing those concepts because the one's who suggested them actually went far enough into the thinking to give the reasoning for the name. It still won't be up to any of us what this team is eventually called but at least when it's all said and done, they can say "well, at least this is what it could have looked like!"

And that's all that really matters. The woulda', shoulda', coulda'! WE SHOULD HAVE THE NAME JAZZ! Yeah! But we not getting it! Sorry! I've sailed that ship. WE SHOULD KEEP THE HORNETS! Well the new owner sorry to say, thinks otherwise! You want the VooDoo, I LOVE the VooDoo! But I'm not in favor of ripping it from an already local team no matter how horrible they are just to satisfy the cravings of a few who deem them unworthy to represent it! That owner paid his money to Benson for it and unless he's willing to deal it back, like the Jazz, the VooDoo ship has sailed with it!

There has been no less than a thousand naming options I'm willing to bet through 35+ pages of re-brand talk. It will all come down to just one in the end and we will just have to accept it for what it is. I don't think Benson will be willing to deal himself a bad hand in dropping the ball on a re-brand especially since the Saints have become even more relevant since Katrina and the Super Bowl. He has too much invested aside from the $340mil he paid for the team. He has a brand and a reputation that will be at stake. If he thinks that Bounce, Pride or Knights should be in the conversation, you can bet that they will have 10 different logo and uniform treatments for each name for him to look at.

I don't have that kind of time. I can make a concept off of many suggestions and tweak them as whomever see's fit! I let people tell me what they see and I do my best to bring it to life. If I worked for a big marketing firm then yeah, It would be my job to do 10 different concepts but even big firms/companies get it wrong from time to time (i.e. Thunder, Bengals). This isn't my job. My job is selling beer and liquor in my bar. Concepting logo's and uniforms is my enjoyment! It's what makes me happy in my spare time aside from being a proud parent to a 4yr old.

The idea for your own team in all it's fashion should be your enjoyment also. And nobody has the right to stop you from saying so!

[NewOrleansBBall]

As an adult I understand VooDoo... But if you're a parent and you don't live here do you buy VooDoo gear?...

I think Soul is good.

The Saints and Soul.

[Penuckle]

As an adult I understand VooDoo... But if you're a parent and you don't live here do you buy VooDoo gear?...

What about as a teenager? If you're a teenager and you have one parent that doesn't live here and one that does I could see how you would want to purchase an ArcAngels hat but if you're a pre-teen and you have two parents that live in the city I don't see why you would ever purchase a New Orleans Soul warmup jersey shirt.

[djpaul89]

In all honesty there is not another name like Saints in all of sports to my knowledge. I only know of a movie series and an obscure soccer team that has it today.

I also believe the football team took that name because the franchise got awarded to the city on All Saints Day. Was quite simple.

Knights would be almost as unique as Saints. With the exception of some colleges, the most major of those being UCF, no other pro teams use it. There's also nice angles that I like about the name...the alliteration sound with NOLA, the reference to nightlife here, the medieval Mardi Gras themes, the connection with Saints as classical & prestigious symbols of authority, and some other more stretchy ones also. So yeah, it's a simple, generic type name but you can easily incorporate some local kick with it.

Another reason I like Knights is because I see great logo potential. Not only could you use a knight's head/helmet silhouette, but a sword could easily act as a fleur-de-lis base like how the Zephyrs use with a baseball bat. Plus, a wrought iron or fleur-de-lis design could be incorporated in the silhouette of a shield or knight's head. Voodoo has some mean logo potential too, and the AFL team already tapped into some of that.

Saints is different, nobody what of thought of it, so that makes it unique. Knights just don't excite me & a lot of friends I just talked to about it.

I hear ya...different strokes for different folks.

[NewOrleansBBall]

What about as a teenager? If you're a teenager and you have one parent that doesn't live here and one that does I could see how you would want to purchase an ArcAngels hat but if you're a pre-teen and you have two parents that live in the city I don't see why you would ever purchase a New Orleans Soul warmup jersey shirt.

I'm talking about the impression VOODOO gives of across the world. It's not a good perception that people have of the name and what it means to them. So as a parent do u indorse VOODOO or say, "I'm not buying that evil and wicked foolishness..." get me?

Soul can mean many different things but most of which are positive or of neutral
Thinking...

[ramsters60]

Knights would be almost as unique as Saints. With the exception of some colleges, the most major of those being UCF, no other pro teams use it. There's also nice angles that I like about the name...the alliteration sound with NOLA, the reference to nightlife here, the medieval Mardi Gras themes, the connection with Saints as classical & prestigious symbols of authority, and some other more stretchy ones also. So yeah, it's a simple, generic type name but you can easily incorporate some local kick with it.

Another reason I like Knights is because I see great logo potential. Not only could you use a knight's head/helmet silhouette, but a sword could easily act as a fleur-de-lis base like how the Zephyrs use with a baseball bat. Plus, a wrought iron or fleur-de-lis design could be incorporated in the silhouette of a shield or knight's head. Voodoo has some mean logo potential too, and the AFL team already tapped into some of that.



I hear ya...different strokes for different folks.

djpaul89....please go back to the last post on the previous page of this thread and try the experiment I proposed....I would really like others to take a few minutes and do the same....thanks!

[PleaseNoKrewe]

Please no Krewe. It's almost a joke. So we like Mardi Gras, I think that's a given. Let's be the Flambeauxs then (kidding). I might just keep my Hornets gear if Krewe is the choice. As for Dukes, I actually think that could work as could the Knights (not as confident on that one) provided the logo just kicks ***. No doubt in 1967 the Saints sounded weak to many...look what happened...the best color scheme and logo in all of sports. The artwork is crucial.

[Downman]

No brass, no voodoo, no knights. To many obvious generic thinkers here. We need a unique name. But for some reason those names get shot down.

[djpaul89]

Please no Krewe. It's almost a joke. So we like Mardi Gras, I think that's a given. Let's be the Flambeauxs then (kidding). I might just keep my Hornets gear if Krewe is the choice. As for Dukes, I actually think that could work as could the Knights (not as confident on that one) provided the logo just kicks ***. No doubt in 1967 the Saints sounded weak to many...look what happened...the best color scheme and logo in all of sports. The artwork is crucial.

I'm with you on Krewe...the Mardi Gras connection is obvious but the name itself feels like a huge reach and feels amateurish to me, no disrespect to those who like it, it's just my view on it.

I'm with you on artwork and branding too. I'll probably embrace any name as long it incorporates a classy & sleek logo design and word font. From there, successful branding and merchandising should naturally follow suit. As apathetic as I am for the name Krewe, BigDub's branding designs for it would make the name more than acceptable for me.