Established in 1924 as the National Hockey League’s first American franchise, the Boston Bruins are six-time Stanley Cup champions with an illustrious 100-year history – a patchwork sewn with stories of grit, passion, heart and tradition. The Boston Bruins have become one of the league's most well-known franchises, boasting a respected past filled with championships, iconic players and memorable moments. At the onset of the 2023-24 season, the celebration of a Centennial Season for the historic Bruins franchise began.
Centennial branding serves as a tribute to the Bruins' enduring legacy within the NHL and the broader hockey community. It honors the team's contributions to the sport over the past 100 years, celebrating its role in shaping the game and inspiring generations of fans. This branding provides an opportunity for fans to connect with the team on a deeper level, fostering a sense of nostalgia and pride in the Bruins' history. Invoking iconic imagery, logos and stories from different eras, the branding brings forth memories of past triumphs while reinforcing the bond between the team and fans.
The goal of this season-long opportunity is to continue shining a light on past achievements, remarkable players, coaches and special franchise moments while simultaneously re-energizing the fan base with a renewed commitment to support the team as it continues to write history. The visual identity is a tangible representation of a century of hockey excellence, the team’s enduring legacy and a tool for engaging fans and driving success both on and off the ice.
To deliver a well-executed brand package that encompasses the entirety of the 2023-24 season, the creative team needed a well thought out plan and buy-in for key stakeholders, both internally and externally.
With a soft launch in the summer of 2023, the look and identity needed to cross multiple platforms and deliverables to last until the Centennial Game celebration on December 1, 2024, marking 100 years to the day the Bruins played their inaugural contest. This identity is represented through internal and external partnerships including the NHL, TD Bank and broadcast partner(s).
Important known aspects going into the identity included: an Original Six team of the NHL, the first American team in the NHL to reach a Centennial Season and ties to Boston.
The specific strategy included:
Brand Identity Development: Worked with FanBrandz for the Anniversary Crest, updated Spoked-B logos and other brand identifiers. We then created the overarching visual identity that elevated, educated and built the foundation for the season.
Execution: Created a stitching and textured look to pay homage to the tradition of jerseys worn throughout the eras, maintaining focus on the organization’s mark of being a tough and gritty group. Along with that, we focused on the current team and respectfully highlighted the players that have built the foundation of the organization.
Embracing Tradition: Planning and brainstorming of creative initiatives required a meeting of the minds. Focusing on nostalgic archives, memorable moments and paying homage to legendary icons. Creatively, the task was on how to best represent historical moments in a modern day landscape as an overall brand package.
Execution: The brand package was extrapolated through heavy research on the aesthetic of the Boston Bruins uniform and the extreme changes and evolvement it went through over the course of time. This is where our stitching theme stemmed from. Paying homage to the nostalgic look over the decades helped trigger the emotional memories and moments that fans and players have towards the organization. An array of digital and print collateral, including historic roster cards, hand-sketched portraits of 100 players and other forms of nostalgia were instrumental in our execution.
Multimedia Content Creation: The established identity for the entire season needed to be cohesive across multi-platforms, dynamic applications, events, community outreach and game day initiatives.
Execution: The look and feel of the brand worked across social applications including Meta, Twitter/X and LinkedIn as well as in print for large format signage in and around TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins. Engaging video and animation were also called upon to amplify this platform. New social initiatives were introduced this year to highlight historic moments including: The timeline history of the Spoked-B, the history of the anniversary crest, specific events on this day in history, a centennial scrapbook and a holistic look at the century of numbers worn by players. Events branded for this season include: Centennial Takeoff Fashion Show, Bruins Centennial Gala, Cue The Memories Podcast and the Heritage Hall museum.
Through various initiatives and events, the Centennial branding has provided fans with opportunities to engage with the team on a deeper level. From ProShop commemorative merchandise as well as a brand-new jersey launch, to Heritage Hall introducing the Bruins' entire historic journey within the walls of TD Garden. The branding has sparked nostalgia and united fans across generations. This sense of connection has not only strengthened fan loyalty but also cultivated a shared identity among Bostonians, reinforcing the Bruins as a cornerstone of the community.
Venue: TD Garden is on a sellout streak, boasting the highest attendance rate in six seasons which has skyrocket retail revenue and social engagement. Overall, the Bruins have increased the Forbes franchise valuation +36% YOY to $1.9B for a top-5 league ranking.
Social Space: The Bruins rank #1 in NHL social engagement and valuation with 16.8M+ total engagements and $9.6M in total post valuation from season start (9/15-1/1). Centennial specific content (350+ posts) has driven 35.7M+ impressions, with the overall engagement increasing +64% over the 2021-22 season.
Announcement of the Centennial Brand (6/27-7/13): The Bruins garnered over 6.3M+ impressions across Meta and Twitter/X with praise on the addition of the Spoked-B and the season brand package. Influencer engagement and mentions included @SportsCenter (41.5M followers), @UniSwag (103.9K), @SI_NHL (36.7K) and more.
Overall, the Centennial branding of the Boston Bruins has revitalized the team's connection with its fanbase, fostered a sense of belonging among supporters and reinforced the Bruins' status as more than just a hockey team.
