Eagle-eyed Swifties have noticed a logo dupe from none other than the PWHL's Toronto Sceptres. The hockey team's logo bares a striking resemblance to Miss Swift's iconic cheerleader uniform in the Shake it Off music video, and while that alone wasn't enough to cause any bad blood, the hockey team's Swift-inspired branding move could mean they're not out of the woods just yet.
The best logos are often famed for their originality and symbolism, and while the Toronto Sceptres have carved their own unique identity, the parallels to Taylor's outfit are hard to deny. With an almost identical colour palette and composition, I'm astounded that there hasn't been any copyright trouble so far.
In the Shake it Off music video created in 2014 (yes, it's been 10 years already), Taylor wears a white and blue cheer outfit with a varsity-style emblem comprised of an intertwined 'T' and 'S'. Sharing the same initials, naturally, the Toronto Sceptres logo can't avoid similarities, but with the same golden colour palette and bold, varsity-style interwoven lettering it's hard not to compare the designs.
To commemorate Taylor's Toronto tour dates in late 2024, the Sceptres created a custom jersey with 'Swift' on the back, promoting their merch to Swifites with a cheeky tweet reading "We can't wait to see you rep the first custom Toronto Sceptres jerseys." While the team aren't blind to the parallels they defend the originality of the design. "While we welcome the comparison to Taylor, our logo started with the Sceptre symbol at its core, with the top and bottom points of an ornamented rod. From that starting point, the Toronto Sceptres logo was born” the PWHL said in a statement to the Toronto Star.
We're so excited to have you in Toronto, @taylorswift13 and @gracieabrams!We can't wait to see you rep the first custom Toronto Sceptres jerseys 😉(cc: @taylornation13, @gracieshq) pic.twitter.com/8wwth7N03fNovember 12, 2024
So far no legal repercussions have come from the similar logos, suggesting that for now, the Toronto Sceptres have Taylor's unofficial blessing. It's not the first time Taylor's brand has been used as a marketing opportunity (as we saw with Trump's Eras Tour knockoff merch) but so far, the hockey team's reputation remains unscathed. For more Swiftie news, check out 5 ways Taylor Swift is brilliant at branding.
