Pub. Note: We asked some of those who weighed in on our post about the new name for Key Arena to “komment” on Kraken—the name chosen for the new NHL ice-hockey team, which has been getting mixed reviews from the general public. A spokesman told ESPN the team considered some 1,200 names—about 100 of them seriously, including the historic Metropolitans and Steelheads—before selecting Kraken, a mythical Scandinavian sea monster. The S identity is a modified homage to the logo of the Seattle Metropolitans, the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup, way back in 1917 (ironically, the same year as the flu pandemic). The colors are a combination of deep sea/ice/boundless/shadow blues and alert red! The komments…
“I think the name and logo are terrific. It’s one of the most unique team names in sports—but it’s not unusual for the sake of being unusual: The story supporting the logo reinforces Seattle’s maritime heritage and the culture of the young franchise. Big kudos to NHL Seattle.” —Jim Copacino
“Hate the name, like the logo. It seems this ownership group made a similar gaff that our major league baseball owners made. There’s little to no sense of heritage around here. The Seattle Rainiers would have been a way to tie into a lot of memories for some of us and it would have been a great way for younger fans to learn about the history. Besides being fictitious, Kraken, by lore, is tied to Scandinavia and Greenland, not Puget Sound or even the Pacific Ocean. Swing and a miss.” —Rick Stanton
Duane Riedesel let this cartoon from The Seattle Times speak for him.
“I love this logo. It’s far more sophisticated than the bulk of the flat, collegiate-style logos that are usually created for sports teams. And choosing a mythical creature for the name is perfect. Definitely more interesting than what’s out there. There are a lot of opportunities for fun promotions, and I can see fans really engaging in ways that might not happen with a name that reflects a weather pattern or an animal with sharp teeth. I’m not a sports fan, but I would consider wearing some Kraken swag.” —Wendy Quesinberry
“Not a massive fan of the name, I was siding with the Metropolitans for historical reasons, but I’m sure it’ll grow on me. I do like the logo and the colors. Very reminiscent with Seattle and the Northwest. The one bee in my bonnet is that the corporate ID, logo, logotype and uniform design was created by the Adidas design group in Portland. I was amazed to hear this as this is a Seattle franchise and we have world-class, award-winning design firms here in Seattle. with massive worldwide and national account experience. I understand that Adidas is under contract with the NHL for merchandising and NHL uniforms, BUT to have our team’s graphics designed by a Portland firm is pretty fricking insulting. I just hope that the NHL fan base here in Seattle doesn’t become known as “the Krak Heads.” Regardless it will be wonderful to have NHL hockey here in Seattle. Or is that Portland? :-)” —Kevin Nolan
‘Off-Key’ Arena Name?
Just when Seattle could stand some good news, comes word that the new owners of the reimagined Key Arena have sold the naming rights to Amazon and will rename it “Climate Pledge Arena,” which will have a carbon-zero footprint, making it the greenest sports venue on the globe.
There are several potential problems here:
- A KOMO-TV poll on June 25 showed that nearly nine out of 10 respondents disliked the new name—feeling it’s a bit “off-Key,” if you will.
- If CenturyLink Field is nicknamed “The Clink,” it’s likely that Climate Pledge Arena will become known as “The Clunk.”
- This may foreshadow the owners choosing the also-unpopular name of “Krakens” for the new NHL hockey team—when they finally get around to revealing it. “Hey, wanna go see the Krakens at the Klunk (swap the C for a K) tonight?”
- The hockey team also has yet to reveal the two or three colors of its uniforms. But now, one of them’s gotta be green, right? Believe the Sounders have dibs on green and blue and the Seahawks on Action Green. (Just think if the Sonics were still in town.) So much for a distinguishing color scheme among local pro teams.
- Whatever Amazon paid for the naming rights, any amount is just cannon fodder for Councilman Sawant in her bid to have Amazon help solve the city’s growing fiscal woes and fund affordable housing.
Not since the Seattle Convention and Visitor’s Bureau came up with the “Metronatural” tagline (anyone remember it?) way back in 2006 has there been such a stir. Check out the comments below from some of the leading branding experts in town.
P.S. The naming-rights move is part of Amazon’s global climate-change initiative. This includes the trio of greenhouse globes (aka “spheres”) in Seattle that supplanted the Sixth Avenue Inn—home of my once-favorite watering hole and the site of many memorable business meetings! —Larry Coffman
““Climate Pledge Arena’ is more than outside-the-box thinking. It’s an entirely new box! It’s what happens when the world’s most innovative CEO partners with the world’s most creative sports mind. Jeff Bezos and Todd Leiweke have made the ho-hum process of corporate naming rights into a mission to save the planet. How cool is that?” I like it—both from a branding perspective (surprising and thought-provoking) and from a social perspective (a constant reminder of climate change’s existential threat to our planet). That’s a lot more interesting than (yawn) CapitalOne Arena. —Jim Copacino
“I’ll admit my first response was ‘Huh?’ Mostly because it reads like the title of a spreadsheet. If you’re going to go for it, I’d like something more evocative and inspiring. Something that sounds like you’re part of a movement and creating change. At least they’re not just slapping their corporate name on a building and calling it a day. And the criticism by others that it’s self-interested, tied back to Amazon’s PR efforts, is confusing. Isn’t that what KeyArena (KeyCorp/KeyBank), T-Mobile Park, and CenturyLink Field are doing? Once we lost the iconic ‘Coliseum’ and ‘Kingdome,’ the names of sporting venues became a snoozefest. If hundreds of thousands of fans and sports announcers have to say ‘Climate Pledge’ over and over, maybe it will spark conversation and a sense of care for our planet. And maybe it will inspire others with naming rights to think a little bigger” —Wendy Quesinberry
“Kudos to Amazon for tackling one of the most significant issues facing life on Mother Earth. However, the name sucks. The initials CPA conjure up other nicknaming options: Accountant Arena, Tax Dodge Arena, etc. In short, I believe Amazon needs to go back to the drawing board on a name more appropriate to its intended goal of creating climate change awareness.” —Duane Riedesel
“Why in the world, if you were part of the ownership group for the NHL franchise, would you want to partner with a brand like Amazon that is seen as evil by a hell of a lot of people? —Rick Stanton
“While the name of the new arena doesn’t scream ‘catchy’ to me, it’s certainly unique in a sea of corporate-brand-named arenas. It signals action and awareness to the climate agenda and carries a positive sentiment. Of course, there will be plenty of haters of any name that comes forth. Social media is set up for everyone to have an opinion on what’s wrong with it and what Amazon could have done better. But, perhaps we should sit back on this one, absorb the sentiment and try a little harder to be more environmentally conscious.” —Marc Williams
Pub. Note: And don’t miss Bill Knudsen’s views in the first item under More News!