While they may no longer be held in the highest esteem as the model NHL franchise, the Detroit Red Wings remain a franchise of distinction among NHL fans.
The specialist research consultancy Distinctive Brand Asset (Distinctive BAT) recently surveyed 1,600 US-based NHL fans. The basis of the study was to assess the distinctiveness of every NHL team’s logo and jersey.
Their findings? The Red Wings have the NHL’s most distinctive logo and jersey.
The study tested debranded logos and jerseys to see not only which were most recognizable, but also which were most strongly attributed back to the correct franchise.
While the Carolina Hurricanes may currently hold the Stanley Cup, it’s the Red Wings who continue to hold on to the title as the NHL’s most recognized brand.
Results
were analyzed using the BAT Score, an aggregate measure combining Asset Recognition plus Brand Attribution, minus Misattribution.
Everyone recognizes the Winged Wheel logo of the Red Wings
The Red Wings come out top in both the logo and jersey distinctiveness stakes. Among other NHL teams, the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers also consistently featured in the top five.
“Across both logos and jerseys, a clear pattern emerges – some NHL brands are almost instantly retrieved in memory,” Freddie Bell, Research Director at Distinctive BAT, said in a statement. “Others require greater mental processing before they can be correctly attributed.”
That isn’t necessary when the Red Wings are the subject.
“Detroit’s iconic red winged-wheel logo is a near-literal visual expression of the team name,” Bell said. “The asset and the brand name occupy much the same mental territory. Fans don’t need to perform any interpretation to connect one with another.”
Similarly, the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs all benefit from the synergy between what the team is called and what consumers see.
“Taken together, these results point to a broader principle,” Bell said. “Brands become easier to identify when their visual and verbal assets reinforce the same memory structure, rather than requiring people to create new ones.”
Bell put the Winged Wheel of the Red Wings up there alongside some of the most iconic logos in the world in terms of brand recognition.
“Think of Apple’s apple,” Bell said. “Green Giant’s green giant. Target’s target.
Shell’s shell.
“In each case, the visual asset doesn’t just identify the brand, it helps explain it. The most distinctive brands are not just seen more easily – they are understood more easily.”