Tim E. And the Jets

On Friday, the Winnipeg Jets unveiled their new logos and - fitting the theme of other recent logo/uni announcements - I was underwhelmed.

While I don't hate anything specifically in the new iconography (maybe except for the new wordmark), I was once again surprised by True North's lack of originality.

One of the most surprising features of the designs is the prominence of the maple leaf. Uh, you're not the only Canadian team and there's already this one team who uses that same leaf.

So lets get into my critiques:

The Primary Logo: I love the roundel that is clearly based off of the Royal Canadian Air Force's roundel but I could easily live without the maple leaf. Also, the compass point representing True North is a bit intrusive and egotistical but I can live with it because it reminds me of the J/hockey stick in this.

Grade: B+ | Uni-Watch.com Scale: Good, close to Great

The Secondary Logo: Once again, the maple leaf is way too prominent. It's a good looking logo, but in a league with a team already known as the leaves and a team already known as the wings, do you really feel the need to combine those images when talking about the Jets?

Grade: B | Uni-Watch.com Scale: Good

The Wordmark: In one word? Hideous. In two words? Train wreck.

Other than being ugly and having terrible fonts, the leaf - yet again - dominates the design and actually looks like an apostrophe, making them the Jet's.

On their website, the Jets show a few different designs featuring a stencil font. That font fits in with the fighter jet motif, in that it looks like something that could be sprayed in the side of a fighter. But yet they didn't use that as a wordmark, go figure.

Grade: F | Uni-Watch.com Scale: Stupid

OVERALL: Grade: C+ but should've been better and more original.

So, while still a passing grade, I figured I could make some improvements - and maybe create some unis while I'm at it.

Logos:

I take my idea of removing the maple leaf but trade in the gray jet for a red one.

Next up, the secondary gets the jet trade in, too.

Uniforms:

For the home and road unis, I took inspiration from the roundel and went for a classic look mixed in with some modern/jet themed flare (hence the stencil uni numbers and captain's C). I also included the jet on the pants with the stripes looking like a planes' contrail.

For the Third Jersey, I made the helmet, jersey and socks gray to mimic a fighter jet (and so it can easily be worn at home or on the road). The numbers and captain's C are now in a darker gray to, once again, imitate the stencils used on planes.

Well, those are my ideas and hopefully you like them. As usual, until next time, happy tweaking.

Update on Saturday, July 23, 2011 at 9:59PM by Tim E. O'Brien

Baby Blue Alts:

Many have been hypothesizing baby blue jerseys, so here's a pair I came up with:

Soaring High

Recently, the people over at Uni-Watch.com and ESPN.com announced a contest to rebrand the Atlanta Thrashers for their move to Winnipeg. While I came up with a pair of concepts, my design of the "Manitoba Falcons" made it to the reader voting level.

What follows is an in-depth look at my design of the Manitoba Falcons:

I based my primary logo design on art styles from the indigenous Haida people of Canada and specifically on their depictions of raptors (eagles, hawks, Falcons, etc.).

With my falcon logo, I tried to convey an image that is uniquely Canadian. This falcon is meant to appear in flight - which is why we do not see its face - to represent both the freedom of the Great White North and the fluidity and constant movement in hockey.

Its wings and body vaguely form the shape of an M - for Manitoba - and also have smaller, traditional designs that resemble Ms. In the center of the falcon is a red puck. The symbolism here is clear: Hockey is the lifeblood of Canada and at the heart of Canadian culture. On either side of the puck is a hockey stick.

As for the Secondary logo, the red puck makes a return with addition of feathers from the primary design. Not too much symbolism behind the flying puck...

Before I get to the uniforms, I'd first like to explain that the design (bird motif) and color scheme (blue and red) are an homage to both Atlanta and Winnipeg. The gold should remind Winnipeggers of their once beloved Moose without hitting them over their head.

The Home Uniform: A classic red - almost burgundy - jersey is contrasted with blue pants and helmet. The socks are also burgundy and feature the same classic striping that graces the jersey.

The Road Uniform: The road white jersey is paired up with matching socks but the blue helmet and pants are here to stay. I added a thin gold stripe to the outside of the jersey and socks striping to incorporate the gold onto the road uni. Other than that, the roadies look good.

...And MTS Centre is gunna look good, too.

If you like my design, go here and vote for my submission to win the Uni Watch contest.