Threading the Needle: March Uniform Review + Jazz Identity Project

JazzUniTracker brings his coverage and creativity around the Jazz’s aesthetic element to Salt City Hoops. (Graphic created by JazzUniTracker)

Welcome to another installment of Threading the Needle! In this edition we’ll recap last month’s performance from the Jazz, discuss the recently released Earned Edition uniforms along with a few fan reactions and we’ll talk about my latest uniform project. Let’s get right into it. 

Jazz “March” Towards Season End

The Jazz completed March with a 9-4 record, and after a shaky 2-4 start, they rattled off 7 wins in a row to right the ship and end the month on a high note. They continue to hold the West’s No. 1 seed and best record in the NBA at 36-11. Of course there are questions as the home stretch approaches, but I think it’s safe to say this team is (dare I say it) pretty damn good. With the tougher portions of their schedule behind them, the Jazz are looking more and more like the favorite to lock up that top seed. Something that hasn’t happened in Utah since 1997-98. There’s plenty of excitement around this team and if you haven’t reserved your spot on the bandwagon (you know who you are), you better hurry because spots are going fast.  

Here’s the month of March broken down by jersey color:

March record by uniform. (Created by JazzUniTracker)

Earned Edition Unveiled

The NBA officially (and finally) unveiled the Earned Edition uniforms for last year’s 16 playoff teams. As was expected, these jerseys matched the leaked set back in December, just before the season started. This year’s Utah Jazz Earned Edition is a green jersey, a slightly lighter shade than the 2018-19 uniforms, closer to the original Jazz jerseys which are more of a kelly green variety. The jersey again features a yellow J-note logo, with matching yellow trim. 

As always, Jazz fans weren’t shy about sharing their opinion on the new jersey set. Across social media, several fans humorously dubbed the set as the “Subway” (like sandwiches) or “Sprite” jerseys, paving the way for prime ad space if that door was ever opened. Personally, I think these jerseys (like others the team uses) look better on the court. If you’re going to debut a jersey and get a positive fan reaction, it doesn’t hurt to use “good vibes king” Jordan Clarkson either. The Jazz did a nice job with that one. 

The Jazz used their social media platforms to introduce the green “vibe.”

Utah Jazz Identity Project

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that not only do I track the team and what they’re wearing on the court every game, but I also love fan-designed concept jerseys. I love seeing the creativity from fans as they put their ideas and designs into the universe. 

This time I was the designer, as I created what I call the “Utah Jazz Identity Project”. My basis for this project came from many conversations about the “true visual brand identity” of the franchise after several different re-brands and several different color schemes. So I asked myself the question, what is the franchise’s true visual identity?

This led me down a path of research, comparing eras of Jazz basketball in different uniforms and colors. I knew immediately that including purple was crucial, as the Jazz spent many seasons wearing some form of the color. So in an effort to represent both eras, I blended the tones, creating a new tone lovingly dubbed “Jazz Purple” (#66348E for color nerds). I used the same methodology for my “Jazz Blue” tone, added some tertiary colors and arrived at what I feel would be a great direction to go in for the future of the franchise. See methodology below:

Combining Jazz eras to find a new, bold color identity.

Similarly, JazzUniTracker combined the teal from Utah’s 1990s package with the light blue from the late-2000s Jazz that peaked with a Conference Finals appearance.

Once I landed on those colors, the new look took shape:

JazzUniTracker’s concept for a new visual identity.

To complete my set, I added a blue Statement Edition, black and copper Earned Edition, and a bonus granite City Edition jersey to celebrate Salt Lake City and the surrounding mountains that lent to the town’s unique skyline. I also threw in the old white mountain jersey from the ’96 era as a Classic Edition, a look that I would love to see in the mix again. 

You can check out it out all six jerseys as well as some court mockups here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/115856157/_

I feel this package would be a positive direction for the franchise for decades to come, honoring those who have played before and forging new moments in the future generations of Jazz basketball. Winning a title (or 2) would help with that as well. 

I’d love to hear your feedback on the project. What would you add or remove? Is there an era of Jazz basketball you think is a necessary aspect of their identity? Comment below or send me a tweet with your thoughts. Hopefully you enjoyed viewing these concepts as much as I enjoyed creating them.

For more jersey related content, follow me on Twitter for game-by-game content and various musings.

As always, #TakeNote and go Jazz.

-JUT