By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
The Golden Knights logo is so ubiquitous in Las Vegas that I seriously wonder if an alien knight from Area 51 escaped and cast a spell on a metropolitan area of 2.2 million VGK souls. The mark is everywhere, from the sides of garbage trucks, pictured here
to the new Vegas Golden Knights Library Card being issued by the Las Vegas-Clark County library district. Wednesday’s news that you can get a Vegas Born library card will likely motivate Golden Knights fans who do not read much to apply for local library cards. Check out the card here.
And Tuesday night, I had the distinct sports marketing pleasure of witnessing a Twitter post from Roseman Dental showing a retainer with a Golden Knights logo and adorned in VGK team colors. (Roseman University is a partner of the Vegas Golden Knights.)
At this point, there was only one person to contact to understand the Golden Knights omnipresent logo phenomenon — VGK Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsworth. LVSportsBiz’s Inside Las Vegas Sports Marketing gave a high five of questions to Killingsworth on this topic. Read on.
LVSB: The Roseman Dental retainer with the VGK logo was posted on Twitter Tuesday, then VGK announced the Golden Knights library card Wednesday. Is there anything that the Golden Knights would NOT put their logo on these days?
BK: We have had such an amazing reaction to different types of products with the VGK logo on them. Our fans are avid collectors of some of the more unique items that we have introduced like Golden Knights wine, cigars, onesies, robes, and chocolates. But, I might draw the line when it comes to VGK Diapers.
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LVSB: We both worked in the Tampa Bay sports market and have worked in other major league sports markets around the country — have you even seen a community in love with its team like Las Vegas is with the Golden Knights? The logo is literally everywhere.
BK: I have never seen a community get behind a team like Las Vegas has for their “Vegas Born” Golden Knights. It has truly become a lifestyle brand in just one year and has become an distinct identifier and unifying element that connects us all.
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LVSB: How many times a month do you get inquiries about people wanting to create and sell items with the Golden Knights logo on it? How do you assess the proposals?
BK: We are constantly getting inquiries and pitched on different items from vendors and fans that want to partner with us. We are always looking to innovate and more often than not, the crazier the idea, the better.
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LVSB: How many countries around the world have people receiving Golden Knights merchandise and what is it about the mark that gives the VGK logo universal appeal?
BK: We have stats that say that fans in over 110 different countries have purchased Vegas Golden Knights gear. I think it is a result of a lot of different things, but it goes back to the original vision that Bill Foley had for the logo and the colors and the fact that a Golden Knight is the “epitome of the warrior class” and “protects the unprotected.” The colors and logo have universal global appeal and the brand has become aspirational given the destination of Las Vegas as the Entertainment Capital of the World and the birthplace of the Golden Knights.
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LVSB: People who ride bicycles would love to buy a VGK bike jersey, so any chance there might be a sale on it?
BK: We are sold out of many sizes and we have a waiting list of fans that want to buy when new kits come in. This community celebrates an active lifestyle and cycling is something that is embraced all throughout the valley. Now, cyclists can celebrate their Golden Knights fandom by riding in exclusive VGK Primal Wear cycling kits.
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