With a new name is coming new colors for Charlotte's NBA franchise.
The team announced that it will be bringing back purple and teal as its primary colors when it becomes the Hornets next season.
"It was important to us to acknowledge the heritage of the Charlotte Hornets when bringing the name back to the market," said Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan. "The purple and teal color scheme was instantly recognizable as being associated with the original Hornets and we felt it was only appropriate to utilize the colors once again with this historic brand."
Along with purple and teal, the team will also utilize accent colors of black, cool gray and light blue.
The decision to move back to the colors that defined the Hornets before their move to New Orleans was influenced by a survey process, with Harris Interactive reaching out to the Charlotte community, as well as season ticket holders and sponsors. Each group was in favor of using purple and teal for the rebranded team.
"The data we collected supported the anecdotal evidence we had and made it clear to us that this was the right decision to make," Bobcats President and COO Fred Whitfield said in a statement.
With the colors in place, the organization will now introduce the next step in its Buzz City campaign, a three-week campaign called "Painting the City" that will feature digital, print and billboard advertising.
The revealing of the colors was one of the first steps in the franchise's process of transforming into the Hornets, with the unveiling of the logo, uniforms, court, mascot and dance team to follow.
Throughout the rest of this season, the team will host Buzz City Nights, which will include fan giveaways and in-area activations to celebrate the history of the Hornets. The initiative will begin on Saturday, Dec. 21, with the first 10,000 fans receiving long-sleeve Buzz City T-shirts courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.
