Friday, 15 March 2013

Rebrand Series: San Jose Sharks

With a nickname like the Sharks, San Jose has HUGE potential to do something unconventional and pretty awesome with their logo and jerseys.  And from 1998-2007 the Sharks definitely had unconventional jerseys.  The image of Owen Nolan on the cover of EA Sports NHL 2001 in that Sharks jersey will forever be etched in my mind and it served as inspiration for this concept.
As a result of the Reebok edge era of the NHL the Sharks experienced a complete overhaul for the logo and jerseys.  The current Sharks logo looks amazing with the modernized, more intimidating shark, but I'd have to say the jerseys are lacklustre.  This was the main motivation behind the direction I went with the jersey design for my rebranded Sharks jerseys.
What I've done is taken the pre-edge-era Sharks jersey and given it a modern-day update.  The most notable focal point of the jersey is the black striping engulfing the sides and chest of the jersey, intended to look like a shark fin.  Different from it's pre-edge-era counterpart I've added an element to this section of the design, using a similar, white shark fin shape outlined in orange, the reason being it adds volume and depth to the jersey, instead of being bland.  I've also removed the grey section seen on the actual jersey because it just doesn't work for me, and updated the sleeve design to  compliment the colour scheme on the mid section of the jersey.
The logo is an attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Tampa Bay Lightning by simplifying the logo.  I've taken the shark fin used currently as a shoulder mark on the Sharks jerseys and "encircled" it with the jaws of a shark.  Although I love the Sharks actual logo I had a lot of fun designing something new for the Sharks and think it blends well with the  jersey design itself.

New Sharks Logo:


New San Jose Sharks Home Jersey:


New San Jose Sharks Away Jersey: