In a situation reminiscent of our article in March this year regarding the two forced re-branding campaigns by Caltex Australia and Australian Geographic, and further highlighting the risks of using house brands under licence, Louise Brunero from Solubility discusses a potential rebrand of a major NBL club.
The Sydney Kings are set to undergo a rebrand after Sydney Opera House Trust sought a reported $50,000 annual licence fee for ongoing use of the stylised sails in the Sydney Kings logo. The club has used the stylised representation since its inception in 1988 but previously for a nominal amount for a 10-year period, which expired in March this year.
It is reported that negotiations with the Opera House Trust broke down earlier this year with the newly sought fee making ongoing use not commercially viable.
The re-branding cost is not clear, but is likely to compare favourably to the proposed $50,000 annual licence fee. The new branding is expected to include a stylised version of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which (presumably) does not have any licensing fees attached (yet).
It is a further reminder that even seemingly established brands and long-term relationships are not immune from disruptive re-branding where the bottom line is concerned. With the Swans (AFL), Roosters (NRL) and Sydney Sixers (BBL) all using stylised representations of the opera house sails in their logos, further re-branding could be in the wings, and we’ll continue to watch this space from the sidelines.
Cover images: Sydney Kings Logo, Source: Sydney Kings Official Website, sydneykings.com / Sydney Opera House showing its iconic sails. Photo by Tyler Duston on Unsplash