The official New Orleans Pelicans colors are navy, red and gold. The primary color is Pelicans navy (#0C2340), paired with Pelicans red (#C8102E) and Pelicans gold (#85714D). All three appear in the logo, the uniforms and team merchandise, and they were adopted during the 2013 rebrand from the Hornets.
Pelicans Color Codes: HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone
| Color | Swatch | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelicans Navy | #0C2340 | 12, 35, 64 | 100, 76, 12, 70 | PMS 289 C | |
| Pelicans Red | #C8102E | 200, 16, 46 | 0, 91, 76, 6 | PMS 186 C | |
| Pelicans Gold | #85714D | 133, 113, 77 | 40, 48, 76, 16 | PMS 872 C |
Quick warning about the numbers floating around online. A lot of color-code sites list RGB (0, 22, 65) for Pelicans navy, which does not convert back to #0C2340. The values above are the honest conversions from the HEX codes the team actually uses. PMS 872 C is a metallic gold, so it will never look right on a screen. Print it and you’ll see the difference immediately.
Every Pelicans Color, Broken Down
Pelicans Navy (#0C2340)
This is the anchor. It fills the logo background, it’s the base of the Icon Edition jersey, and it carries almost every wordmark the team publishes. Navy came straight from the Louisiana state flag, which is where the pelican itself comes from too. Worth knowing: #0C2340 is a shared NBA workhorse. Same shade shows up on other franchises. If you need broader context on how this navy blue tone behaves next to warm accents, that’s a rabbit hole worth going down before you commit to a layout.
Pelicans Red (#C8102E)
Red is the loud one. It’s the beak in the logo, the “PELICANS” arc under the mark, and the full body color of the Statement Edition uniform. Team leadership framed it as passion and fraternity back in 2013, with a nod to the pelican’s throat pouch. At 200, 16, 46 it’s a true cool-leaning red, not a fire-engine orange-red. Don’t substitute #FF0000 and hope nobody notices. Somebody always notices.
Pelicans Gold (#85714D)
Here’s where designers get tripped up. Pelicans gold isn’t bright. It’s a muted, olive-leaning metallic (133, 113, 77), closer to old brass than to anything shiny. On screen it reads almost like a dark khaki. That’s intentional. The gold was picked to tie the Pelicans to the Saints, the other Benson-owned team in town, and gold on a helmet behaves very differently than gold on an LCD. Screen-only projects sometimes brighten it. Officially, you shouldn’t.
Where the fourth color hides
White does a lot of unacknowledged work here. The Association Edition uniform, the wing detail in the logo, the number outlines. It isn’t listed as an official brand color, but strip it out and the palette collapses.
Pelicans Uniform Colors
Association (home): white base, navy lettering, red and gold trim.
Icon (away): navy base with red and gold accents. This is the one most people picture.
Statement: red throughout, with navy and gold detailing.
City Edition changes annually and routinely breaks the rules. Past versions have leaned on Mardi Gras purple and green, streetcar-inspired motifs, and gradients the core palette would never allow. Don’t use a City Edition jersey as a color reference. It’s a one-season costume, not the brand.
Color History and the 2013 Rebrand
The franchise landed in New Orleans in 2002 as the Hornets, dragging Charlotte’s teal, purple and gold along with it. That scheme never really fit the city.
Tom Benson bought the team in April 2012. On January 24, 2013, the club announced the Pelicans name and a navy, red and gold palette, replacing the Hornets identity for the 2013-14 season. Rita Benson LeBlanc explained the reasoning at the time: blue for loyalty, red for passion, gold for championships. All three colors also appear on the flag of the City of New Orleans, which is the part most write-ups skip.
In 2014, the Hornets name (and the pre-2002 franchise history) went back to Charlotte. The teal is gone for good. The primary logo has held steady since 2013 with only minor refinements, which is unusual restraint for the NBA.
Using the Palette
Screen work: use the HEX or RGB values. Print: use CMYK, or Pantone if the budget allows. Metallic 872 C is expensive and most fan projects won’t need it.
“ :root { --pelicans-navy: #0C2340; --pelicans-red: #C8102E; --pelicans-gold: #85714D; --pelicans-white: #FFFFFF; } `
Practical note from doing this too many times: navy and red at full saturation next to each other vibrate badly on small text. Put white or gold between them. Gold on navy passes contrast comfortably for headings but fails for body copy at small sizes, so check it before shipping.
Related Resources
- The full NBA team color codes hub, every franchise in one place.
- Working across leagues? The baseball team color codes reference covers MLB.
- Louisiana’s other pro palette overlaps hard with gold. If you want ideas for pairing metallics, browse some gold color palettes.
- The Pelicans navy sits in the same family as the Atlanta Braves colors and the Houston Astros colors, both of which lean on deep navy with a warm accent.
- For darker layouts built around #0C2340, these dark color palettes are a decent starting point.
FAQ on The New Orleans Pelicans Colors
What are the New Orleans Pelicans colors?
The New Orleans Pelicans colors are navy, red and gold. Pelicans navy (#0C2340) is the primary color, supported by Pelicans red (#C8102E) and a muted Pelicans gold (#85714D). White functions as the fourth color across uniforms and the logo.
What are the Pelicans color codes in HEX and RGB?
Navy is #0C2340, RGB (12, 35, 64). Red is #C8102E, RGB (200, 16, 46). Gold is #85714D, RGB (133, 113, 77).
Ignore the sites listing RGB (0, 22, 65) for navy. It doesn’t convert back to the official hex code.
What is the New Orleans Pelicans Pantone color?
The team’s Pantone match is PMS 289 C for navy, PMS 186 C for red, and PMS 872 C for gold. PMS 872 C is a metallic, so it can’t be reproduced accurately on screen or in standard CMYK printing.
When did the Pelicans adopt their current colors?
January 24, 2013. That’s when the franchise announced the name change from Hornets and revealed the navy, red and gold scheme, which took effect for the 2013-14 season under owner Tom Benson.
What is the primary color of the New Orleans Pelicans?
Navy. It fills the logo background, forms the base of the Icon Edition jersey, and carries nearly every official wordmark. The shade comes from the Louisiana state flag, the same source as the brown pelican itself.
Why is Pelicans gold so dark?
Because it’s a metallic reference, not a bright screen yellow. At (133, 113, 77) it reads closer to brass or dark khaki. The tone deliberately links the Pelicans to the New Orleans Saints, the city’s other Benson-owned franchise.
What colors did the team use before the rebrand?
As the New Orleans Hornets (2002-2013), the franchise wore teal, purple and gold, inherited from Charlotte. Those colors never connected to the city, which is exactly why Benson scrapped them.
Do the Pelicans still share colors with the Charlotte Hornets?
No. Charlotte reclaimed the Hornets name and the teal-and-purple identity in 2014, along with all pre-2002 franchise history. The two palettes now have zero overlap, which is unusual for teams sharing a lineage.
Are the Pelicans colors the same as the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Not quite, though people confuse them. The Cavaliers pair wine (a deeper burgundy-red) with a brighter gold. Pelicans red is sharper and cooler; Pelicans gold is far more muted. Similar family, different execution entirely.
Where can I find the Pelicans City Edition colors?
City Edition uniforms change every season and sit outside the official palette. Recent versions have used purple, green and gold pulled from Mardi Gras. Don’t treat them as brand colors. They’re one-year designs.
Conclusion
The New Orleans Pelicans colors come down to three values you can copy straight into a style guide: #0C2340, #C8102E and #85714D. Navy, red, gold.
Grab the Pantone equivalents if the job goes to print, and keep the metallic caveat in mind.
Everything traces back to the 2013 rebrand and the flag of New Orleans. Skip the City Edition experiments, stick to the brand palette, and your Smoothie King Center mockups will actually look like the real thing.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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