Super Bowl Logos
Logo // Branding
2021-2023
Making the Super Bowl logo super again.
Back in 2021, I decided to begin a yearly process of redesigning that year’s Super Bowl logo. Ever since Super Bowl XLV, the NFL has adopted a much more corporate, templated feel with each of the game’s logos, rather than wading in to the quirky, colorful, site-specific logos of the past.
Admittedly, my job as a designer and critic is much easier without any sort of creative direction or anyone to answer to, but I have taken it upon myself to redesign each of the past two Super Bowl logos to show off the character and uniqueness of each of the hosting cities.
My process took me through rounds of research, sketches, a million different versions and lots of time, which made these much more difficult on myself than necessary.
Super Bowl LVII
Sunday, February 12, 2023
State Farm Stadium // Glendale, AZ
Rather than going the expected route for an Arizona-based event (cactus, mountains, desert, etc.), I used the ancient Hohokam culture as inspiration. The Hohokam people lived in Phoenix and the state of Arizona for more than 2,000 years and created hundreds of miles of irrigation canals in the Arizona desert, which helped them thrive as farmers and as a society in the harsh weather. The logo I created is inspired heavily by the jewelry, pottery and patterns found on many of the objects that the Hohokam made.
Colors are inspired by beads and tiles used in jewelry and mosaics by the Hohokam. The logo’s holding shape and geometric designs to the left and right of the Roman numerals come from patterns found on ancient Hohokam pottery and artwork. Alternating red square accents are meant to evoke the look of mosaic tile patterns.
Check out mockups and my moodboard below.
Super Bowl LVI
Sunday, February 13, 2022
SoFi Stadium // Los Angeles, CA
Known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Los Angeles, and morespecifically Hollywood, is recognized as the center of the movie industry.It is home to a number of classic and unique cinemas such as the TCLChinese Theatre, Cinerama Dome,The Orpheum, Theatre at the Ace Hotel, El Capitan Theatre and many more.
The shape and lines represent Hollywood’s retro movie theaters and their marquees with neon lights and strange shapes. The LVI lettering style was inspired by Super Bowl VII, the last Super Bowl held in the LA Coliseum. 8 stars on the bottom represent the number of Super Bowls held in Los Angeles County (2 in the LA Coliseum, 5 in the Rose Bowl, this year’s in SoFi Stadium). And the stars also symbolize the movie and star industry of LA (duh).
Check out mockups and my moodboard below.
Super Bowl LV
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Raymond James Stadium // Tampa, FL
Tampa is known as ‘Cigar City’ and its Ybor City neighborhood was home to many cigar factories beginning in the 1880s. I wanted to steer away from the expected (Florida beaches, tropical, etc.) if I could, so instead wanted to focus on the city’s history.
The colors, shape and type treatments are reminiscent of vintage cigar packaging, while the four points at north, south, east and west represent Tampa’s history as a major port city. 15 dots and one diamond at the top show off the number of Super Bowls played in the state of Florida, while the five laces on the football at the bottom represent the five Super Bowls in the city of Tampa.
Check out mockups and my moodboard below.
