National Lacrosse League - Colorado Mammoth

Colorado Mammoth Unveils Team Name and Logo

MAMMOTH RETURNS TO COLORADO; KROENKE SPORTS UNVEILS PRO LACROSSE TEAM NAME AND LOGO

Denver, Colo. - In a nod to pre-historic Colorado history, Kroenke Sports Enterprises has named its new National Lacrosse League team the Colorado Mammoth.

Against the backdrop of a massive mammoth skull at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado Mammoth Team Captain Gary Gait unveiled the team's new logo - a stylized word treatment in which the first "M" in the word curves into a set of tusks.

"Like the mammoth that roamed this area thousands of years ago, our team has migrated to Colorado, found itself a home and an exciting new identity," said Steve Govett, Colorado Mammoth president and general manager. "We couldn't be happier and we're ready to play." Kroenke Sports bought the former Washington Power. The team's new season in Denver will begin in December.

"The fact that the mammoth is a Colorado native from pre-historic times adds a mythical feel to the name," said Tom Philand, senior vice president, marketing and corporate sponsorship, Kroenke Sports. "The opportunities for marketing this type of kid and fan-friendly identity are as big as the name implies."

The team's mammoth identity took on a life of its own following the discovery of mammoth fossils late this summer at a construction site just south of Denver. The Ice Age creature, weighing up to six tons and standing as tall as 14-feet, inhabited the area of present day Denver nearly 17,000 years ago.

"The name and logo lend themselves to so many variations on all things gigantic - including references to player talent, ticket packages or retail application," said Kelley Kocher, senior creative director, Kroenke Sports. "When we say the team is 'Gonna Be Huge,' we believe it." Kocher oversaw development of the logo and team jersey by Adrenalin Design Group. Team jerseys will be unveiled at a later date.

"This announcement caps what has been a very exciting year for Kroenke Sports," said Kroenke Sports Executive Vice President David Ehrlich. "Our acquisition of an NLL team now gives us four very exciting properties all playing at Pepsi Center. We can't wait for the Mammoth to take the field."

Kroenke Sports Enterprises owns and operates the Pepsi Center arena, NLL Colorado Mammoth, NHL Colorado Avalanche, NBA Denver Nuggets, and is a partner in the AFL Colorado Crush, Shell Grand Prix of Denver and other regional concert and entertainment venues.

MAMMOTH GIVEN NEW LIFE AS CREATIVE TEAM RISES TO THE 'TUSK'

Denver, Colo. - Today's announcement that the state's new professional lacrosse team will be called the "Colorado Mammoth" caps a months-long search for the perfect name and logo.

"This is an exercise in high-intensity creativity," said Tom Philand, senior vice president, marketing and corporate sponsorship, Kroenke Sports. "The name has to stand the test of time, be appealing to all generations and be worthy of fan identification."

The only parameters put on the process were that the new team be named for an animal. A potential major sponsor had made the request, keeping with the company's marketing themes. The Mammoth name took on a life of its own when mammoth fossils were found at a construction site just south of Denver earlier this summer. Suddenly, an animal of massive proportions, native to Colorado, had entered consideration.

"The fact that the animal was from a pre-historic time gave the creature a mythical feel," Philand said. "Who isn't fascinated by big creatures from another age?"

Logo design and team identity fell to Kroenke Sports Senior Director of Creative Imaging Kelley Kocher. Kocher's original direction showed a stylized logo in which the first "M" in "Mammoth" curved into a pair of tusks representative of the Ice Age beast.

Working with Denver-based Adrenalin Design Group - noted for its work on behalf of several professional sports teams, the US Olympic Committee and the Harlem Globetrotters - the logo morphed into a version that included shadows and a "C" representing the state of Colorado.

"This is a great name for a team," said Dan Price, president/creative of Adrenalin Design Group. "It's one of the rare names that doesn't end simplistically with an 's'. The word has energy.

"The logo intentionally stays away from a clear identity of the animal, allowing the fan to create its own mental image of the mammoth," Price said. "It's mysterious but it also provides a sense of force and a touch of fan friendliness." Price also notes that the burgundy, silver and black reflect other colors in teams already owned by Kroenke Sports including the Colorado Avalanche.

"The process is a challenge, but between the logo and the plays-on-words available to us using Mammoth as either a noun or adjective, we believe this is an image that can quickly become a fan favorite," said Philand.

These articles were taken from www.coloradomammoth.com.  All rights reserved.