That was a really cool moment in the process, when the person who designed the uniform got to take it out and own the moment. When that uniform came out of the box, people just erupted. I told everybody, ‘OK, guys, this is it … we’re gonna unbox this together.’ I made Brett pull it out of the box because this was his baby. McCullough: When that box came from the NBA, I took it and went out to the design area. Maurer: Getting that first sample in, it’s hard to put words around it. What was it like seeing the final product for the first time? That cemented this as an authentic Heat fan-driven uniform. It was gonna work because of the mark from the Miami Arena. We weren’t stretching anything to make this uniform work. McCullough: While it’s a brand-new uniform, and brand-new relationship with Nike, it also had classic elements that aren’t forced. It felt like it was an instant classic … but contemporary. Once that mark was dropped into Brett’s silhouette, we knew it was it. That pays homage to everyone who’s been here since the beginning. We … knew we could really bring it home by incorporating the Miami Arena, because that celebrates who we were and who we are. We found our way to the Miami Arena mark. That mark just felt so right for the chest.Īlvarez: There were gradients and things that would tie into a specific era. It all seemed to just point in one direction. Don Johnson actually introduced the Miami Heat dancers for the first time before tipoff at the first game. Over time, we covered the fact that there was a lot that linked all this together. Maurer: We had everything from Miami art deco to retro digital video game graphics. How does the uniform draw inspiration from the sign of the old Miami Arena?
The name ‘Vice’ isn’t necessarily a nod to the TV program, because Miami has a lot of different things that you might call vices.Īlvarez: By calling it ‘Vice,’ it’s an update to the theme. McCullough: We definitely wanted to make this uniform resonate with folks here in Miami, from the colors … the feel … the nightlife … and the history of the team and the Miami Arena. How much of the concept was connected to the Miami Vice TV show? “The name ‘Vice’ isn’t necessarily a nod to the TV program, because Miami has a lot of different things that you might call vices.” We spoke with the team’s chief marketing officer Michael McCullough, chief of creative and content Jennifer Alvarez and graphic designer Brett Maurer, who detailed the 18-month process of bringing a taste of Miami Vice to the hardwood. The Heat are breaking out the “Vice” uniform on the court for the first time in a home matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. It’s something different,” second-year Heat guard Rodney McGruder said during the team’s internal media day last October, when players saw the uniform for the first time. We look forward to wearing these jerseys. “It’s nice when you put on a jersey, but when you put on a jersey with a little bit of flavor, it adds a little bit more to your game. Although images of the “Vice” jerseys leaked online in late December, when Nike unveiled most of its City Edition looks, the Heat waited until January to roll out its expansive campaign, which includes a microsite that elaborates on the backstory of the design, which the team will wear in 15 games from Jan. There’s a greater story that the franchise is telling with the look, particularly through the “Miami” script on the chest of the jersey, which is crafted in the same font and design of the sign that hung on the team’s first venue, Miami Arena, from 1988 to 1999.
On Tuesday, the team debuted its appropriately named “Vice” uniform - Miami’s version of the team-unique City Edition ensembles made by Nike in the brand’s first year as the official apparel provider.īut contrary to popular belief, the uniform isn’t directly influenced by the iconic 1980s series Miami Vice, which starred Don Johnson as James “Sonny” Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Thirty years later, that golden age of South Beach style and swagger is inspiration for the Heat’s latest court outfit. That was the year the Heat franchise was founded, the University of Miami Hurricanes football program claimed another national title and two fictional, pastel-suited detectives named Crockett and Tubbs solved crimes on the small screen. The Miami Heat’s creative department pretty much put a key in the ignition of a DeLorean and cued up 1988.