Predators Unveil Bold New Sweater

Relief.

When asked by Chief Marketing Officer Christian Parker my thoughts about seeing the new sweater for the first time, my first reaction was...

Relief.

The sweater I was seeing was not the phosphorescent, banana yellow sweater that was leaked in a surreptitious screen shot a few weeks ago. This sweater looked good. It was a bold departure from any look the Predators had worn in seasons past, but in my view, that boldness was eye catching.

Here is the sweater along with the pants and socks:

Obviously, it doesn't look as good lying flat on a table in the Predators front office as it will on a player, but you can get a sense of how the uniform will look.

The sweater incorporates the new Predators logo on the chest, but what grabs the attention is the new dominant color, which has been dubbed "Predators Gold". The Predators logo, while modified to three colors instead of the 14 that were in the old logo, is still consistent from season one, and represents what Parker calls the "Predators brand". That logo is recognized throughout the league, and it was important to the design that there be consistency and reinforcement of the brand.

It is the new main gold color that is radically different, and the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. Parker explained that the team wanted a distinctive look and color in the redesigned uniform. He mentioned that there are 14 teams in the league that wear some form of a blue color as their dominant color, and the desire was to have a color and a sweater that would stand out from all the other uniforms in the league and would be different in a positive way.

The Predators attempted to balance the gold motif with the dark blue that had been part of the uniform since day one. The attempt in the redesign was to create a distinctive look that balanced traditional elements of classic uniforms around the league.

In this picture, you can see some of the detail. A guitar pick that is a nod to our Music City heritage with three stars representing the three grand divisions of the state of Tennessee is on the right shoulder. Inside the collar are piano keys, again acknowledging our the impact of the music industry on our area. If you look closely at the background of this picture, you can see the old mustard colored sweater that was hanging in the conference room and see the contrast between the colors.

Those that saw the Predators second round home playoff games on television saw the "Gold Out" that was in the Bridgestone Arena. Several people commented to me that the gold actually looked orange, so naturally, I asked Chris if these sweaters had been "television tested". How did they look on the screen was a concern. He said that the sweaters had been television tested twice by Reebok, with players wearing the sweaters and television views from all angles. The sweaters look gold in the tests, and really stand out with the blue trim and against the blue pants.

The jersey was unveiled at the end of the Skate of the Union meeting for fans. All in attendance were asked to go out to the plaza and view the Skate of the Union Banner hanging from the Bell South Tower. At the end of a countdown, that banner dropped to reveal a banner of the new jersey.

Here is the video of the unveiling on the Batman Building

 

Mayor Karl Dean and members of the Nashville Sports Authority were also there in attendance to support the team.

The Predators have made a bold fashion statement with their new look. It is a look that is distinctive, and it is one that the View likes.

They will certainly stand out with the new sweaters. 

Now, they will need their play to stand on the ice next season to stand out like their new look.