The Nexen Heroes were the South Korean KBO League baseball club based in Seoul that competed under that name from 2010 through 2018, after tire manufacturer Nexen Tire acquired the team’s naming rights. The club’s visual identity from this period is best understood through the emblem unveiled at the team’s official launch ceremony on March 5, 2010, which combined elements of the sponsor’s tire business with the sport of baseball.
Design and History
The Nexen Heroes identity began in February 2010, when Nexen Tire signed a two-year main sponsorship deal with the Seoul-based Heroes club, officially renaming the team the Nexen Heroes.[1] The club had previously operated under names including Woori Heroes and Seoul Heroes since joining the KBO in 2008.[2]
On March 5, 2010, at a launch ceremony held at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, the club unveiled its new emblem, corporate identity and uniforms.[3] The main emblem combined a tire shape with a baseball to create a round, harmonious image.[3] The club also used a second emblem featuring the English phrase “Seoul Heroes” encircled by the text “Nexen Heroes Baseball Club.”[4]
The Nexen Heroes name and identity lasted through the 2018 season. In November 2018, the club signed a five-year naming rights deal with securities firm Kiwoom Securities.[5] When the Kiwoom Heroes identity was unveiled in January 2019, the new logo appeared similar to the Nexen version: the background baseball image remained the same, with the new sponsor’s name written across it.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2010 emblem was designed to express the harmony between Nexen Tire, a rapidly growing tire manufacturer, and the baseball club, whose name “Heroes” means “hero” in Korean.[3] The tire shape combined with the baseball was the central visual concept of the main emblem.[3] Nexen Tire stated that the new uniform and emblem were meant to convey a sense of dignity, sophistication and weighty passion.[3]
The club’s signature colors during the Nexen era were burgundy and white, which were maintained when the team became the Kiwoom Heroes in 2019.[2]
Typography and Design
The wordmark used on uniforms rendered “Nexen” in English letters. The initial “N,” representing Nexen Tire’s corporate initial, was given a sleek, streamlined design intended to express dynamism.[3] The cap insignia also featured a stylized “N” based on the Nexen initial.[6]
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