Courtesy / Boston Celtics
An illustration shows the Vistaprint logo added to the left shoulder area of Boston Celtics jerseys.
Updated: November 20, 2020
In estimated multimillion-dollar deal, Maine's pro basketball team may wear a new logo
Courtesy / Maine Red Claws
Red Claws guard Dorian Pickens drives the ball in a game last year at the Portland Expo against the Northern Arizona Suns. Under a new deal, the NBA logo on the left side of his jersey will be replaced by one for Vistaprint.
By William Hall
Sidebar: The Maine Mariners' hockey season is on ice.
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Vistaprint, a Dutch company best known for putting logos on business cards, has put its own logo on the Maine Red Claws.
The state's only pro basketball team and its NBA parent, the Boston Celtics, will wear the Vistaprint trademark on their jerseys under a multiyear marketing agreement, the Celtics announced this week. Although the franchise would not disclose terms, the deal is estimated to be worth millions of dollars annually.
Under the agreement, the promotional printing company will also support the Boston Celtics United for Social Justice initiative, which aims to build economic opportunity and empowerment in minority communities.
Celtics President Rich Gotham said in a news release Tuesday, “We share much in common with Vistaprint, but where we feel most connected is our shared values of commitment to excellence, innovation, and community. This partnership will allow us to work together to bring out the best in both organizations.”
The stylized "V" patch, to be added near the left shoulder of the jerseys, will be the first sponsor logo worn by the Red Claws and only the second by the Celtics. The NBA began allowing teams to wear the patches three years ago, and since then, the Celtics have donned the circular, century-old insignia of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE).
A Celtics spokesman, Brandon Chinn, told Mainebiz that in addition to the Red Claws, a few other G League development teams have been wearing a sponsor logo carried by their parent organization.
But the Vistaprint deal is unique, he added. The logo will be the first displayed by an NBA franchise, its G League squad and the NBA team's virtual counterpart in the NBA 2K simulation gaming league.
Except for the Celtics, the Red Claws are the only pro basketball team in New England. With home court at the Portland Exposition Building, they debuted in 2009 under a loose affiliation with Boston in what was then known as the NBA Development League. Last year, the Celtics acquired the Red Claws, and currently each of the 28 G League teams is either a subsidiary or exclusive affiliate of an NBA team.
Both the Celtics and the Red Claws — in fact, all NBA and G League teams — wear the logo of Nike (NYSE: NKE) on the right shoulder of their jerseys. But that's a different sort of deal; Nike makes the jerseys.
Brian Corcoran, CEO and founder of Portland-based Shamrock Sports & Entertainment, has consulted with NBA teams on marketing partnerships, and applauded the Vistaprint deal.
"Our friends at the Celtics and Red Claws are brilliant marketers and will work with Vistaprint to lead by example on educating, engaging and empowering social justice," he told Mainebiz. "Doing well by doing good will be the gold standard for this and other partnerships."
The going price for jersey patch sponsorships in the NBA is now about $3 million annually, he added. GE is said to have paid $7 million a year.
The Celtics have been looking to change jersey sponsors for some time, according to Corcoran, and news reports suggest the process began over a year ago.
A possible reason? Public disenchantment over the relocation of GE to Boston. The company signed on as sponsor just months after moving its headquarters from Connecticut to the Seaport area of Boston in 2016. But in the past couple of years GE has been widely criticized for canceling some of its building plans there, and has been forced to return $87 million in state and local tax incentives.
GE's sponsorship of the Celtics also didn't extend far beyond the jersey patch, according to Corcoran — for example, into joint efforts involving community and social causes.
File Photo / Jim Neuger
Brian Corcoran, CEO and founder of Shamrock Sports & Entertainment
"No offense to GE, but that was a good deal, not a great one," he said.
Corcoran is optimistic that Vistaprint, which is based in the Netherlands but owned by Cimpress plc (Nasdaq: CMPR) of Ireland, will take a more active role in the Boston area and also in Crustacean Nation.
"This is an opportunity for Vistaprint to amplify shared values with the Celtics, and I think they'll be looking to do that across the entire region," he said.
Vistaprint Chief Marketing Officer Ricky Engelberg said in the release, “As a company with deep roots in the Boston area, we are thrilled to announce this partnership with our hometown team, the Boston Celtics. Even more so, we’re proud to join up with the Celtics to shine a spotlight on the important role small businesses play here in our community and across the country."
Despite the ambitious plans for the sponsorship, however, it's not clear whether the Red Claws will have a chance to wear their new logo in game action anytime soon.
The NBA, which conducted its player draft Wednesday night, is still making plans for a modified 2020-2021 season. But there's been no word on whether the G League will play, or sit out the season because of the pandemic.
Chinn, the Celtics spokesman, said he was unaware of any decision regarding the G League season.
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