With a new season comes a new set of Nike City Edition jerseys.
On Saturday, the Hawks will debut this year’s City Edition jerseys that pay homage to the uniform the team rocked when it landed in Atlanta for the first time.
The uniform also pays tribute to the city’s “history of lifting up individuals and providing the opportunity to soar while celebrating the power of collaboration and collective growth in achieving success that can be found interwoven through the interconnectedness of the city of Atlanta.”
Finding ways to tell the city’s story and connect elements that are important to the organization was important to Hawks and State Farm Arena Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor. She added that when the team brought the 1968 uniform back a few years ago, fans loved it. So the team felt it important to find ways to blend that uniform with the idea of giving back to the community.
“And for us, we call it the ‘Fly Edition,’” Proctor said. “We’ll see the blue is taken from our uniform that we came to Atlanta in 1968. And so it’s a little bit of going back to our heritage. But really talking about, while we were creating the uniform design, one of the lines that we have on the tag of the uniform was ‘Lift as we Fly.’
“The notion of that is probably the biggest thing that we want to get across this uniform that you know, Atlanta with a city that is full of so many people, entrepreneurs, determination, doing so many things that really all work together, we have the opportunity to soar. And community impact is a big part of our DNA and our organization. And so how can we really support that and amplify that through the city edition was a big part of the conversation.”
So, in the discussions about the design of the uniform, Hawks and State Farm Arena Vice President of Brand Creative Shirley Zhang and her team found it important to create something they felt was true and authentic to the brand.
Zhang said they wanted something was simple, sleek and inviting. So, they kept the “atl” on the chest of the jersey lowercase, to bring that southern hospitality feel that the Atlanta community has.
“(Paired) alongside the coloration of buttery brown that we kind of talked about, that truly amplifies this home base that we all call home, that we love, and that we are all very proud of,” Zhang said. “On the side, it highlights our heritage blue, which will be the second time we have brought it back since 1968. That’s something that’s very special to us, and not only pays homage to our history of moving here, and becoming the Atlanta Hawks in 1968. But it also resembles going back to the whole ‘lifting,’ uplifting, and how we uplift each other, we’re always going to places and we are always trying to assist each other in different ways to make each other better.”
The Hawks also have a court that coordinates with the team’s City Edition jerseys that will also debut on Saturday, Nov. 11 when they host the Heat. They continued to play with the theme and idea of lifting each other up and they incorporated a shadowy hawk so they could have the image of one hovering on the court.
“It creates this effect that feels like our home court is protected, that we are united, we are strong,” Zhang said. “It’s kind of the vibe and the direction that we went with.”
Photographs of the uniforms have already leaked online and the reaction to the jerseys have been tepid. Both Proctor and Zhang understand that every uniform won’t have the same response. So, they try to focus on the story each uniform will tell while also having a jersey that can stand on its own.
“Every season, I mean, it’s funny because you know, uniform design is a very subjective process,” Proctor said. “And so for us, we want to tell a story and a narrative that really helps to support our brand and our community. ...
“I feel like every season, you’ll have people who love them, people who may not be fans of them, and they all work to tell a different story as a part of our brand. And so I think they all can stand alone individually for what they are. But I can’t even compare them. I feel like they’re all so unique in their own ways.”
As part of this season’s uniform’s story, the Hawks have launched the ‘Lift as We Fly’ campaign to highlight local businesses. At 4:04 p.m. every day beginning on Saturday, Nov. 11, the team will empower and spotlight local businesses on its two massive, state-of-the-art displays located above Centennial Olympic Park and directly above the MARTA station.
Then, beginning with the Hawks’ home game on Monday, Jan. 15, the team and UPS will partner with the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RICE) for the ‘Lift the 404 Honors Program delivered by UPS’ campaign to support and empower Black entrepreneurs across Atlanta.
“To me, I think just the idea of understanding that we as a team, it’s bigger than basketball and it’s not just about us and selling merchandise and being on the court,” Proctor said. “It’s really how do we create impact with our community through the work that we d and in a tangible way, and I feel like really are able to do that this season through this uniform.”
City Edition uniform schedule
• Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Heat
• Saturday, Dec. 23 vs. Grizzlies
• Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, as part of MLK Day Game vs. Spurs
• Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, vs. Lakers
• Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 vs. Bulls
• Wednesday, March 6, 2024, vs. Cavaliers
• Monday, March 25, 2024 vs. Celtics
• Saturday, March 30, 2024 vs. Bucks
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