With any rebrand, big or small, you've always got to anticipate some backlash. As we know, the internet hates change, and this couldn't be more apparent than in the increasing trend of rebranding NFL logos.
When it comes to rebranding a sports team, you're not just evolving a brand, but the identity of the entire fanbase behind it. While it's impossible to please everyone, it takes a fine balance to impress the masses. To dive deeper into this trend, I caught up with design experts Paul Woods and Michael Vamosy to discuss why NFL logo rebrands are so divisive and what we can learn from the fallout.
Paul Woods is an award-winning designer and author who has led projects for renowned clients such as Google, Volkswagen, Red Bull and The City of Santa Monica. Outside of his role at design and technology company Alice, Paul is the current president of AIGA Los Angeles, and a member of the Board of Advisors at The University of Michigan School of Information.
"Let’s get one thing clear from the outset: I am not an NFL superfan," Paul explains. "That said, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career working with legacy brands that people feel deeply protective of. Sports teams might be the most emotionally charged version of that problem. Which is why NFL logo redesigns so often provoke the ire of fans.
Heritage matters because these marks are not just identifiers; they’re symbols people grow up with. When teams treat redesigns as reinvention rather than refinement, fans react fast and usually negatively. The trend toward hyper-simplified, flat logos over the past decade has proven especially unpopular. In trying to look modern and flexible, many teams stripped away personality and ended up with brands that feel generic and oddly fragile."
Michael Vamosy is the Emmy-winning creative executive and founder of advertising and brand design agency, DEFIANT LA. Utilising strong visuals to drive creative storytelling, Vamosy and his team provide 360 creative services across entertainment, sports, news, social, content, gaming, and consumer brands.
"Rebranding or refreshing any logos is a challenge. Rebranding an NFL team logo is a step above," Michael explains. "It’s haloed ground. Legacy and fan passion raise the ultimate stakes. As designers, we kinda take an oath to the brands we service: 'Do no harm. But to stay relevant, you must evolve, embrace your unique authenticity, and tap into the heartbeat of your city and fan base.
I’ve always loved the Baltimore Ravens’ look. They leaned into a polarizing color palette and made it fierce. Their new symmetrical logo pairs seamlessly with their existing logo. You can see they are easing into a design evolution and some stellar uniform upgrades. It also solves a ton of design issues with the helmet that so many teams are challenged with. Also, the Eagles' logo is very cool, and the only logo pointing left to make the “E” in the eagle’s feathers read. But they still only use the wings on their helmets and avoid flipping a logo facing right."
"The updates that work tend to be quieter," Paul adds. "The Chargers’ continued refinement of their iconic bolt or the Vikings’ measured refinements show that evolution can be about better execution, not louder ideas. Improved proportions, stronger typography, and systems that scale across digital, broadcast, and physical environments matter more than novelty.
Appeasing fans does not mean standing still. It means understanding what they actually care about. Looking ahead, I’d like to see NFL teams move beyond safe minimalism and design identities with more confidence, character, and emotional weight again."
Michael weighs in, "As for which teams could use improvement, I would love to see the Detroit Lions embrace the ‘Motor City’ attitude and the ‘Detroit vs. Everyone’ attitude. Also, the Browns don’t seem to have a logo, just a color, and it is not brown. Lastly, I have no idea what a Packer is or what their brand logo of a G does with those awful colors. But they have a huge fan base that loves their team and wears their gear.
That’s what it is all about. Fans are much more forgiving of poor design choices from the past than they are of design improvements built for the future."
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
