New York Jets reveal a full-scale rebrand

Disappointing is the best word to describe the often-troubled New York Jets NFL franchise. However, with the recent draft choices of quarterback Sam Darnold and safety Jamal Adams, along with the major free agent acquisition of running back Le’Veon Bell, the Jets fanbase has reason to be excited for the first time in years. To capitalise on this excitement, the Jets have decided to commit to a full-scale rebrand, including both a redesigned logo and new uniforms.

The new logo eschews the old oval design which encircled the interior type, replacing it with a shape with a look much closer to that an American football. Additionally, the ‘New York’ facet of the logo is now much more prominently featured as white type above ‘Jets’ instead of being relegated to a background outline. Though the logo retains its colour scheme of green and white, the new green is a slightly brighter shade, and has been dubbed ‘Gotham Green.’

Gotham Green is one of the three new uniform colours as well, in addition to ‘Spotlight White’ and ‘Stealth Black.’ The uniforms are now much sleeker and edgier, and the type chosen for the numbers bears a striking resemblance to the type of the recently redesigned uniforms of the Detroit Lions. The most noticeable change made is the removal of the logo patch on the upper-right corner of the front. In its place is conspicuous, bold text reading ‘New York’ across the centre.

The Jets’ usage of its location as the focal point of its rebranding campaign is a shrewd strategy, because unlike the Jets, New York City continues to remain culturally important. While the Jets may not have a legendary history or a wealth of championships, the team’s home city is second to none. Understanding this, the Jets also released a new promotional video which intertwines the grit necessary to succeed in competition to the grit New Yorkers cultivate living in the city.

While it remains to be seen if the Jets’ recent signings will be able to deliver on the hype surrounding them, the team’s rebrand represents how the it intends to operate in the future.