New NFL Logo

[MikeJones]

you know why the NFL font looks familiar? it's the same font (distorted) as the font NFL's been adopting for NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl, Draft, etc the past few years. The new NFL logo is the final step taken to standardize their corporate identity.

[lost_limey]

you know why the NFL font looks familiar? it's the same font (distorted) as the font NFL's been adopting for NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl, Draft, etc the past few years.

Which has been mentioned several times on this very thread already. Maybe try reading before you post?

[powersurge]

This is what they should have done.

Oh well, woulda....coulda...didn't

[Mac the Knife]

While this was a great upgrade of their existing brand, personally I think they should've literally taken the opportunity to go in an entirely new direction, sort of what the CFL did a while back.

Y'know, when I first heard (here) several months ago that the NFL was going to rebrand, I thought "this'd be a great idea for a contest on the CCSLC," posing the question: "How would you revamp the NFL's logo?"

Now that I see some of the comments here and so many seem to not like the upcoming new look, I'll go ahead and ask: How would you do it?

Post your concepts. Let's see your idea.

[Sterling84]

So will the NFL Network switch to this:

...or just change the logo entirely. Not that I'll ever see it on my cable system.

Time to jump in and qualify my earlier ?terrible? remark.

Clearly this ?new? logo is not terribly done. It?s neither an embarrassment nor a PR stumble in and of itself.

1) The swap from ?royal? blue to navy is going on everywhere in design circles. I won?t hold the NFL responsible for that trend. And it DOES increase the contrast of the image.

2) The football is probably an overall improvement. I like the tie-in to the Lombardi Trophy and the increased size in relation to the rest of the logo.

3) I find the eight starts problematic. They are certainly clearer than before and easier to reproduce for vendors. And now that they ?symbolize? each of the eight league divisions it is theoretically more representative. My problem is it just looks empty / dumb. I don?t know what the proper solution would have been. 12 stars? 13? 15? 16? If 25 meant nothing then I feel they were free to pick whatever number looked best, and 8 is not that number.

4) My main problem with this entire thing is indeed with the ?NFL? font itself. The old style curly letters didn?t mirror the bottom of the shield PERFECTLY, but it was darned close. This new text treatment exaggerates the differences in the angles (see how obvious it is in DrBear?s NFL Network mod.) I subconsciously want the ?N? and the ?L? to slope downward toward the longer ?F? tail equally. That is something the curvy old ?L? did a much better job of.

Within the discussion of the new NFL text comes another issue. I think it?s very typical for companies to use a particular font or font family for their tagline or to tie together different divisions of the same parent company. In the case of the NFL they?ve used this font for the aforementioned Draft, Playoff, Thanksgiving and Kickoff events. But I don?t know that the company NEEDS to put that unifying font into their overall parent logo. If it?s common and I?m forgetting then I apologize. I do know it?s not necessarily a rule of thumb to always do so. My company ( a bank ) uses one custom font in it?s logo, and then the same (but a separate ) font for all of it?s divisions and subsidiaries. It?s a hierarchy issue and I think it opens them up to problems once fads change and they want all new Draft, Thanksgiving, Playoff advertising materials. This is akin to the brand identity trickling upward instead of downward. It?s the inmates running the asylum.

Here?s my patented reach of an analogy for you. You?re buying a home. One option is 75 years old. This place has lots of wear and tear, outdated plumbing and narrow hallways. But this house has stood proud for generations and has tons of character. If you buy this home, you fix some things but you are forced to forgive a lot of it?s shortcomings in lieu of the charm and tradition. Perhaps instead you opt for choice #2 to build a new home? Granite kitchen, 4.5 baths and all stainless baby! But in this new home, you?ll be furious two weeks after you move in when you realize the builder screwed the handles of your cabinets unevenly.

The point of this is that newness demands perfection, where the already established does not. No matter how effectively you think this new logo is, it is clearly NOT perfect. In doing this project, the NFL invites everyone to look VERY closely at their company?s logo. Was there honestly any pressure to do this at all? Now you?ve got millions of people critiquing your brand when 24 hours earlier they were pouring over fantasy draft materials and already obsessed with your product. That doesn?t mean the NFL should NEVER have updated its look, but it does lead me to??

My final point. Even if you love the way this turned out, my objection is the fact that this is even being discussed nationally today. I know I know??as a logo guy you?d think I?d enjoy an all-day dissection of the holy grail of logo mods. But I don?t. As much as I live and breath logos and love tearing them apart HERE on this website, I find it difficult to discuss what amount to insignificant changes with the laypersons of the world. In other words; nobody cares. And it strikes them all as odd that USA Today even mentioned it and when the dust settles my chosen field has been scoffed at and reduced to a punchline. ?How much do you think they paid for THAT?!?! Hahahaha?

I don?t think logo changes should be given press conferences or even announced publicly at all. It?s the most anti-climactic reveal going and only invites criticism. It begs everyone to be an art critic. I say, just start using the new logo and answer questions as they arise (which they probably will not). ?When did the NFL drop the curly L?? ?Oh, couple years back.? Done. The whole point of a logo, is to subconsciously shift how a customer thinks of your product. Showing them how you did so, is explaining the magic trick and defeats the purpose.

[-kj]

Maybe Pantone can clarify this, but when I think of navy blue, it's not that color. That's much too light to be navy, though maybe a little darker than royal.

I still think you're all babies about the "wah wah it's navy" thing anyway, so maybe I'm biased.

[AAO]

It looks great, but I do think that they should have kept the old 'NFL' wordmark.

[Joshawaggie]

The reduction of stars is a huge plus, the new font is not. Granted, if this was a new logo and the old one didn't exist, sure it's a good league logo. The old font was what gave it character, and sure it gives off an old timey feel today, but I think they could have just SLIGHTLY stylized the font just a little less, and gotten away with it. THis new font doesnt fit the shield too good, and it has no character.

[GottaDeal]

I really like it. I'm neutra on the new font vs old font debate - I think either could work but I can see them wanting to keep it consistent with their other new logos/wordmarks.

I actually thought the football looked like the one on the Lombardi trophy before reading the article, so that's a definite plus.

[Claystation360]

here is the NFL logo remix in Texans colors .

[VitaminD]

Better all the way around.

When I first got into sports, I looked at my NFL bedspread and tried to figure out what the NFb was. It took a while to figure out that the third letter was an "L". An effeminate, curlicued "L" to paraphrase BiB.

This eliminates so many of the problems with the old shield.

1. The stars now stand for something. Why 25? Did anyone here honestly know for certain that there were 25 stars on the shield? I'll admit I didn't, and I have stared at that thing for decades. Now - 8 divisions, 8 stars. Easy to look at, easy to print/embroider.

2. The football now looks like a football. And not just any football, but the Lombardi Trophy - the reason (ostensibly) that everyone plays the game, and that every fan watches.

3. The design elements are simpler and bolder. Much as with the evolution of older logos into what we have now, the superfluous details have been eliminated for simpler, sharper designs. While I miss the old "Bucking Bronco" logo, I don't miss trying to draw it. This is clean, sharp and bold.

4. The font unifies the NFL's obsession with Serifa perfectly. The old goofy-ass font never appeared anywhere outside the shield (and NFL Network logo, which is naturally derivative and isn't really an exception). For all we know, the font set only had 3 uppercase letters in it! You sure as hell could not use that "font" for any other purposes, nor use any other letters.

My sole gripe is that the "F" needs a little retooling. Put the vertical stroke in line with the point of the shield, and work from there. Kerning makes it modifiable, gents...

[DrBear]

2. The football now looks like a football. And not just any football, but the Lombardi Trophy - the reason (ostensibly) that everyone plays the game, and that every fan watches.

No it doesn't. First off, it has only five laces and a real football has eight. Second, it' seems rounder because of the 3-D effect. In fact, it looks more like a rugby ball. I didn't make the Lombardi Trophy connection until I read it.

3. The design elements are simpler and bolder. Much as with the evolution of older logos into what we have now, the superfluous details have been eliminated for simpler, sharper designs. While I miss the old "Bucking Bronco" logo, I don't miss trying to draw it. This is clean, sharp and bold.

There was no need to change the shape of the bottom of the shield.

4. The font unifies the NFL's obsession with Serifa perfectly. The old goofy-ass font never appeared anywhere outside the shield (and NFL Network logo, which is naturally derivative and isn't really an exception).

Not to mention NFL Europe/Europa. And personally, I think Serifa is a garish, ugly font.

For all we know, the font set only had 3 uppercase letters in it! You sure as hell could not use that "font" for any other purposes, nor use any other letters.

There are many other trademarks that use lettering that is uniquely designed for one mark. For example, the Bucks logo uses lettering that is only used for the logo and the MILWAUKEE BUCKS lettering on the court. Otherwise, press releases, etc. generally use Friz Quadrata. The NHL logo uses swooshy lettering that doesn't appear anywhere else, either.

[$teauA]

When I first heard the news on the radio I scratched my head but once I got home and saw the update I have to say that they've done a great job.

[habsfan1]

So will the NFL Network switch to this:

...or just change the logo entirely. Not that I'll ever see it on my cable system.

They will also darken the blue, since now it'll be darker and they will probably find a way to squeeze 8 stars in there so it could match the new logo. In other words, complete makeover.

[nwtrailtrekker]

how could they do that to a classic logo. makes me sad.

[AHcreative]

I don't think I like it all that much. The current logo isn't even that old. The font is what really makes the logo look bad. I would expect better from the NFL.

[GeorgesL]

I like the upgrade. The league logo needed it.

[xnylived]

Not a huge fan of the typeface but the two changes I love are the new football in the shield and the more vibrant blue in the logo. I've always thought the current NFL shield looks like it's been put in the washing machine one too many times and begun to fade out.

[pcgd]

4. The font unifies the NFL's obsession with Serifa perfectly.

Maybe you're talking about something else, but the NFL font that is seen everywhere is a custom font, not Serifa.

Not a big deal, they share some characteristics.

I personally like that about the logo (unifying the font) When you see things with that font, you know they are official NFL product/advertisements. I think adding it to the logo will strengthen that tie.

[jojotarantino]

Is this really a necessary change?