NFT artists and designers like Bobby Hundreds, Deadfellaz, and Ghxsts were asked to change the NBA logo of Chicago Bulls, which hasn’t changed since 1966.
Later this month, the Chicago Bulls will release a new NFT collection. It will include “1-of-1” artworks made by well-known artists who were asked to reimagine the team’s famous NBA logo.
Since the team was founded in 1966, the logo, which is a red charging bull’s face with black and white accents, hasn’t changed much. Dean Wessel, a commercial designer, came up with the logo. In exchange for his work, he was given free tickets to a game. The non-fungible token works won’t replace the logo, but they are the first time the organization has officially asked people to think about a different brand.
The team worked with 23 artists from all over the NFT to find new ways to show the logo through art. Artists from Chicago like Michael Salisbury and NoPattern pay tribute to their city, along with designers from all over the world like Bobby Hundreds, Blake Jamieson, Gxng Yxng of Ghxsts, Maliha Abidi, Betty and Psych from the NFT project Deadfellaz, Varvara Alay, and more.
“As a child of the ’90s, I grew up watching Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman play,” said Claire Salvo, who remade the logo by drawing on paper with a ballpoint pen. “It was a time when professional athletes were also becoming famous figures in pop culture. I really miss that team, those players, and that time.”
Each piece of art will be made into a single 1-of-1 NFT that will only be available through Coinbase’s NFT platform on the Ethereum blockchain. The “The Aurochs” collection will go up for auction on September 22 with a starting price of 0.2 ETH, or about $320.
“I like simple, strong, and bold images,” said artist Zoe Rain about why she was interested in the project. “People from all over the world respect and admire the Bull’s strength and stature.”
The money from the collection will be split between the artists (40%) and the Bulls (40%). The NBA will keep 10% of the money, and the other 10% will go to After School Matters, a Chicago-based nonprofit whose goal is to help Chicago’s young people learn.
The Bulls had already put out a Legacy NFT Collection in July 2021. It was made up of several pictures of the team’s six World Championship rings. The collection gave owners of multiple NFTs special benefits, such as a “Bull for a Day” VIP meet-and-greet and courtside seats.
