The introduction of the Kraken mascot by the Seattle team has brought excitement and anticipation for fans of the NHL. The announcement of the team's official name, the Seattle Kraken, was met with both praise and curiosity. The team's choice to adopt the mythical sea creature as their mascot reflects the strong maritime heritage of the city, as well as its connection to the ocean and surrounding waters. The Kraken, a giant squid-like creature, is known for its power and ability to emerge from the depths of the sea. By selecting the Kraken as their mascot, the team aims to embody these qualities of strength, resilience, and determination. The unveiling of the team's logo and colors further added to the intrigue and generated widespread enthusiasm.
"We talk about the kraken as living in the theater of the mind," said Katie Townsend, the Kraken's senior vice president of marketing and communications. "It's a mysterious beast. We don't want to be a cartoon brand which is why we have not revealed the full kraken. It was a fairly obvious choice that we would not go with a kraken, but would do a deep dive led by Lamont and team to examine what is the right mascot for the city, for the fans and for the brand."
According to Lamont Buford, the Kraken s vice president of entertainment experience and production, the team received hundreds of ideas for the mascot, but eventually decided on Buoy. It was a fairly obvious choice that we would not go with a kraken, but would do a deep dive led by Lamont and team to examine what is the right mascot for the city, for the fans and for the brand.
The unveiling of the team's logo and colors further added to the intrigue and generated widespread enthusiasm. The deep navy blue and bold red accentuate the fierce and powerful image associated with the Kraken. Moreover, the team's use of innovative technology to create a dynamic and interactive experience for fans has been praised.
Meet Buoy the Troll, the first-ever Seattle Kraken mascot
As the Seattle Kraken worked their way through their inaugural season, there were many firsts for the franchise.
There was their first game in Las Vegas, there was their first goal by Ryan Donato, there was their first home game at Climate Pledge Arena and prior to the season, there was their first draft pick in Matty Beniers.
But missing from Seattle Kraken games was a mascot.
Well, at their latest preseason game on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks, the Seattle Kraken introduced their first mascot, Buoy the Troll.
Leading up to the reveal, the Kraken released a video of three children video chatting with local Seattle sports players such as Paul Sewald of the Mariners and Breanna Stewart of the Storm about what the team’s mascot should be. Eventually, the thought was the mascot should be based around one of the city of Seattle’s top landmarks.
Enter Buoy the Troll, who is named after the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge.
“We are proud to introduce Buoy and mark another milestone moment for the Seattle Kraken,” Katie Townsend, Kraken chief marketing officer, said in a press release. “We are rooted in the local community and everything we do is inspired by the wonderful place we live. Buoy was inspired by the Fremont Troll and is a big fan of the Seattle music scene!”
Buoy, as you’d imagine, shares many of the same colors as the Seattle Kraken’s jerseys, and also has an earring with the team’s secondary logo, an anchor modeled after the space needle. And, per the Kraken, Buoy has “hockey-flow-style hair” and “a removable tooth.”
“Over the last two years we worked to develop Buoy’s unique identity that captured the look and feel of the Kraken brand while being kid-friendly and approachable,” said Lamont Buford, vice president of entertainment experience and production of the Seattle Kraken. “Buoy’s hair is a nod to hockey flow and the waves of Puget Sound. You’ll notice there is a removable tooth just like a hockey player, an anchor earring for our secondary mark and then a mysterious tentacle indicating an encounter with the Kraken. Buoy is so much fun and I look forward to everyone meeting the newest member of our team.”
Fans can meet Buoy for the first time on Sunday at the Kraken Community Iceplex. To follow Buoy on Instagram, use the handle @NHLbuoy. For Twitter and TikTok, use @SEABuoy.
Buoy, as you’d imagine, shares many of the same colors as the Seattle Kraken’s jerseys, and also has an earring with the team’s secondary logo, an anchor modeled after the space needle. And, per the Kraken, Buoy has “hockey-flow-style hair” and “a removable tooth.”
This includes the implementation of augmented reality and virtual reality to enhance the fan experience and bring the Kraken mascot to life. The Kraken mascot will undoubtedly become an iconic symbol of the Seattle team, instilling fear and awe in opponents while uniting fans as they cheer for their team. With the introduction of this new mascot, the Seattle Kraken have laid the foundation for a thrilling and unforgettable chapter in the city's sporting history..
Reviews for "Behind the Scenes: Unearthing the Creation of Seattle's Kraken Mascot"
- Mike - 1 star
I was really disappointed with the introduction of the kraken mascot by the Seattle team. It just felt forced and unnecessary. The whole concept of a mythical sea creature as a mascot for a sports team just didn't make sense to me. It seemed like they were trying too hard to be unique and creative, but it just came off as awkward. I really hope they reconsider and come up with something more traditional and fitting for a sports team.
- Sarah - 2 stars
I have to say, the introduction of the kraken mascot by the Seattle team left me underwhelmed. It looked like a cheap knockoff of other popular mythical creatures. The design and execution were just not up to par. It felt like they rushed the whole process without giving it enough thought. I was expecting something more impressive and innovative, but unfortunately, the kraken mascot fell flat for me.
- Tom - 2 stars
I was really looking forward to the introduction of the kraken mascot by the Seattle team, but it ended up being a letdown. The costume itself looked cheesy and poorly made. It lacked the finesse and attention to detail that I was expecting. I understand that creating a mascot is not an easy task, but I was hoping for something better. Overall, I was not impressed with the kraken mascot and feel like it could have been executed much better.