The New Orleans Pelicans introduced their current logo in 2013, marking a significant rebranding moment after the franchise changed its name from the Hornets. The design centers around Louisiana’s state bird, the brown pelican, which is prominently featured with its wings spread wide and a basketball cradled in its beak. This presentation positions the pelican as a figure of vigilance and defense, reflecting the team's on-court aspirations.
Above the pelican, a fleur-de-lis connects the franchise to the region’s French roots and longstanding cultural history. Below the pelican, the curve of a crescent references New Orleans’ well-known nickname, “The Crescent City,” derived from the bend in the Mississippi River around which the city is built. These elements tie the team's identity closely to its home city, using regional markers that are instantly recognizable to locals and fans alike.
The logo’s framing also includes wing feathers that create a sharp and symmetrical visual anchor. Rather than focusing solely on sleek modernism, the logo embraces the complexity of local iconography, with each design element serving a symbolic function. Combining the bird, crescent, and fleur-de-lis forms a layered heritage, location, and character narrative.
The Pelicans introduced a notable refinement in 2023 when they removed the "New Orleans" and "Pelicans" wordmarks from the global logo version. The icon-only mark improves scalability across digital platforms, merchandise, and alternative branding applications. While this version omits textual identification, the visual identity remains distinct and easily recognizable.
Color Palette and Typography Evolution
The franchise's official color scheme—Pelicans Navy, Pelicans Red, and Pelicans Gold—has been in place since the 2013 rebrand. These colors align closely with the New Orleans city flag, creating continuity between the team and its civic identity. Navy blue conveys seriousness and stability, while the gold suggests a rich historical backdrop. Red brings energy and visibility to the palette, especially in uniform trims and accent elements.
Typography has undergone several subtle shifts since the rebrand. The original wordmark featured a serif typeface inspired by signage found throughout the French Quarter. Its curved strokes and ornamental lines provided a historic touch, making the type feel authentic to New Orleans' architectural vernacular. This font was applied across uniforms, courts, and digital media, serving as a visual extension of the city’s aesthetic.
The franchise adapted as branding needs changed, particularly with the rise of digital-first content. By 2023, the wordmark had been revised into a horizontally stacked layout, separated from the central pelican icon. This allowed the typography to be deployed independently when needed, such as on apparel or marketing banners, without always being tied to the prominent crest. This modular approach increased visual flexibility without straying from the established identity.
The 2024–25 season introduced new City Edition uniforms that extended the evolution further. The team adopted custom typefaces that echo the angles and line work in local signage and cultural motifs. The font maintains the angular character familiar to the Pelicans brand but does so in a way that reflects the idiosyncratic charm of New Orleans.
Interestingly, this kind of typographic customization has also become more common outside sports. For example, sites like CasinoBonusCA that compare free spin promotions in online gaming frequently use similarly tailored font styles to balance digital clarity and visual flair. The result is often a typographic style that feels contemporary while maintaining a regional or thematic influence, similar to how the Pelicans have treated their type evolution.
Recent Updates and Future Possibilities
A standout feature in this edition is the “Skelican,” a skeletal version of the team’s pelican mascot. The design appears on the jerseys' waistband, shorts, and inner lining. This alternate logo is not new to the franchise—it has appeared in limited capacities since 2015—but its placement in the 2024 uniform marks its most prominent use yet. The “Skelican” is a visual nod to the city's artistic character and cultural relationship with life, death, and rebirth themes, often seen during local festivals.
The updated jerseys also introduce a herringbone pattern inspired by ironwork architecture typical throughout New Orleans. Paired with bone-inspired type and angular lettering, the kit feels both rooted in the city and forward-looking. The design team avoided generic tropes and leaned into the city’s distinctive design language.
Industry observers also speculate that the Pelicans may experiment further with their icon-only logo in future alternate uniforms or digital campaigns. As more teams explore minimalism and symbolic branding, the Pelicans’ distinct visual assets—like the fleur-de-lis and Skelican—could be adapted into additional standalone marks.
While the core identity has remained relatively stable since 2013, these incremental changes suggest a team actively responding to shifting visual standards in sports and broader media landscapes. Rather than overhaul the logo entirely, the franchise has chosen a path of steady refinement, ensuring the identity remains relevant without discarding its symbolic foundation.
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