The Omaha Storm Chasers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, based in Papillion, Nebraska. The team adopted its current name and visual identity in 2011, replacing the longtime “Omaha Royals” moniker as the club prepared to move into the new Werner Park ballpark. The rebrand was developed by San Diego-based branding firm Plan B Branding, led by partners Casey White and Jason Klein. [1]
Design and History
The Storm Chasers identity was unveiled on November 15, 2010, at a public event in La Vista, Nebraska. The name was selected from more than 1,500 fan submissions gathered during a two-month “name-the-team” contest, with the winning entry submitted by Sue Harold of Lincoln. The team name was chosen to recognize the importance of weather in the metro area and across the state, with general manager Martie Cordaro noting it “in a whimsical way, pokes a little fun at the variety of weather we experience here.” [1]
The new primary logo features the team’s electrified “Storm Chasers” lettering with the “O-Bolt” emblem behind it. The O-Bolt, a stylized letter “O” struck by a lightning bolt, serves as the club’s classic secondary mark and appears on the team’s road caps in Twister gold. [1] The home cap features the Vortex character, one of two new meteorological-themed mascots introduced alongside the rebrand, along with Stormy. [1]
The initial reaction to the new identity was mixed. MLB.com reported that the “defiantly cartoonish logo” drew criticism from tradition-minded local fans, with negative comments appearing on local news websites and the team’s Facebook page. Despite the backlash, the team’s leadership stuck with the new brand, and the club went on to win the Pacific Coast League championship in its first season under the new name. [2]
In 2016, the team introduced new uniforms that incorporated powder blue styling as a nod to the Kansas City Royals’ color scheme. The alternate powder blue jersey paid homage to the Royals’ jerseys from the 1980s, and the alternate black top featured a large powder blue O-Bolt logo on the front. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Storm Chasers name references Omaha’s reputation as the “extreme weather capital of the country,” according to Cordaro. When designing the logo with Plan B Branding, the team felt it was important to acknowledge its relationship with Kansas City, and keeping the same blue color was significant from a historical perspective. [2]
The club’s official colors are Royal blue, Twister gold, Blackout black and Radar red, which were chosen to celebrate the franchise’s 42-year affiliation with the Kansas City Royals at the time of the rebrand. [1]
Plan B partner Jason Klein described the branding process, noting that the common theme emerging from focus groups was that “Omaha deserves a bit more for itself, and is entitled to a unique hometown identity.” [4]
Typography and Design
The primary logo combines the “Storm Chasers” wordmark with the O-Bolt emblem positioned behind the lettering. The wordmark features lightning bolts incorporated into the lettering itself. [1] The road uniforms display “Omaha” across the chest, paired with Blackout black caps featuring the O-Bolt logo in Twister gold. [1]
Additional secondary marks include an interlocking “SC” logo, which was incorporated on the powder blue cap introduced with the 2016 uniform refresh. [3]
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