The introduction of a new mascot is a big moment for any sports
franchise, particularly a new team.
So the Golden State Valkyries — the new WNBA expansion team owned by Peter Gube and Joe Lacob, who also own the NBA’s Golden State Warriors
— hatched a plan to introduce their new mascot with a prolonged marketing stunt.
It all started when local media received reports of a mysterious, abnormally large, gold-speckled violet
egg “found” on Aug. 7 outside Thrive City, the plaza adjoining Chase Center in San Francisco, where the team plays. The team then brought the mystery egg inside the Chase Center and
built suspense with a “Nest Cam” sharing footage of the dormant egg. They also brought in wildlife management expert Kenny Elvin to evaluate it. “The egg found in Thrive City has a
striking violet color and is unusually large; both characteristics are abnormal,” Elvin said in an Aug. 7 statement. “However, the gold speckles on the shell do resemble the patterns often
seen on the eggs of bird species.”
advertisement
advertisement
The team announced Aug. 11 as “Birdwatchers Night,” with fans in attendance receiving binoculars courtesy of sponsor DoorDash. At halftime,
the new mascot got her grand introduction, as fans were shown footage of the egg “hatching” earlier in the day to reveal the new mascot to Ballhalla (what the team calls its home and
fanbase): a large, violet-colored raven named Violet, or “Vi” for short. The bespectacled bird emerged from the team’s tunnel, learned iconic Bay Area dances, was taught how to play
basketball by Golden State Warriors star Quinten Post, and enjoyed a rendition of “Happy Birthday” from fans.
After the initial push, the team seems to be allowing for the
character to develop organically through interactions with fans, both in-person and online, giving the character her own Instagram page.
Some info the team shared about the new mascot includes her love of shiny objects, and generosity in giving gifts to fans. These qualities correspond to some characteristics of the real-world
common raven (Corvus corax), which is known to be a particularly intelligent species of bird.
“Collecting information from her daily flights, Violet brings crucial knowledge back for the
leaders of Ballhalla to use in battle. Ravens are considered guardians of good fortune, shape-shifting to trick and defeat any enemies of Ballhalla,” according to the team.