Belonging to the oldest franchise in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers logo is the topic of this particular discussion. In this article, we are going to talk about how the Steelers logo came to be. We are also going to take a quick look at the team’s previous logos and see how they evolved.

Other items at which we are going to look are the design elements of the emblem. These are the logo’s color, shape, and font. Afterwards, we are going to catch you up on some less known facts about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers Logo Design Elements

Over the course of the team’s 83-year-old existence, the Steelers logo has gone through a number of changes. However, compared to other teams with an even shorter history, their logo was very much stable. In fact, you’ll find that the Pittsburgh Steelers logo history is very humble and grounded.

Originally, starting with 1933, the team wasn’t even known as the Steelers. They were known as the Pittsburgh Pirates, and occasionally, the Rooneymen. The team’s current name and first official logo wouldn’t come until 1945. And that’s when the team started adopting the values by which we all know them today.

The first Pittsburgh Pirates logo was designed in 1945, and focused on the city’s main industry – steel. It consisted of a football-shaped outer rim surrounding an image of a steel factory. The image depicted the primary elements involved in making steel, as well as a furnace and a factory roof. Meanwhile, the outer rim read Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club. This version of the logo would last until 1962.

Next, in 1961, the steel factory imagery was replaced by a different logo. It consisted of a worker wearing a helmet kicking a football off of a steel beam. The design was simple, elegant, dynamic, and far more compelling than the previous one. However, this version didn’t last long. While the team still used it occasionally, they started using the Steelmark more and more over the next few years.

Usually, if a provisionary version of the final logo comes into play, we also analyze that one. However, the differences between the two are too minor to warrant talking about them twice. So, we’ll do that in our next segment, where we’ll analyze the current Steelers logo.

Changes and Evolution

In this section, we are going to analyze the meta-design elements of the Steelers logo. These are the elements which are meant to stir emotions in viewers. They were designed by creative teams for this particular purpose, and they are what makes the team what it is.

Of course, the three meta-design elements of the Steelers logo are its shape, is color, and its font. Next, we are going to see how each of these fits in with the public perception of the sports emblem.

Shape

Often used to generate feelings of energy, harmony, connectivity, and power, circles are some of a graphic designer’s favorite tools. Aside from looking very good on the team’s helmets, the circle is the perfect choice for the fan base. It is one of the reasons why the Steelers’ fans are so closely knit together.

Meanwhile, the three four-pointed stars present in the Steelers logo are called astroids. They are a hypocycloid figure with four cusps, basically resembling a rhombus with its edges curved inwards. It is perhaps the best-known element of the football team’s logo.

In the 1960s, when the logo first came to be, courtesy of the AISI, an official announcement followed the logo’s launch. It was said to stand for the lightness, modernity, and stylishness of American products made with American steel. The disposition of the three astroids perfectly fits the placement of the team’s name.

Color

The three main colors used in the Steelers logo are yellow, blue, and orange. While the third color looks more like red than orange, the consensus is that it’s actually orange. This is because of the associations made with the three colors.

Back when the American Steel and Iron Institute promoted the logo, they had a saying for each of the colors. Yellow was said to lighten your work, orange was said brighten your leisure, and blue was said to widen your world. These meanings were later amended to stand for something else.

Ultimately, the three colors were supposed to represent the three materials needed to produce steel. Yellow stood for coal, orange stood for iron ore, and blue stood for steel scrap. However, when it comes to the Steelers logo, the three also stand for something else.

Yellow and orange are both warm colors. They are frequently associated with happiness, energy, cheerfulness, success, determination, and success. Meanwhile, blue is the color of trust, loyalty, depth, and stability. Together, they generate the perfect combination of feelings for the fans of a sports team to have.

Font

As for the Steelers logo font, it’s a pretty compelling and modern typeface. The font is non-serif, and made to look like stencils. This is meant to highlight the highly industrial aspect of the team, and to give them an even more unique look.

Inspiration and Trivia

Initially, the team known as the Steelers used to be known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, they decided to rebrand the team and honor their town’s traditional trade. So, they became the Pittsburgh Steelers, and started focusing their image around the city’s legacy.

Interestingly, the team is the only one in the NFL to use the Steelmark on a single side of their helmets. This started when they were still wearing the golden helmets, as they decided not to waste material before trying out the new logos. The helmets looked good, and the team finished with a 9-5 mark, so they decided to keep the logo just as it was.

Even after the team changed their helmets to black, they still kept the logo on only the right side. This was both as a superstition, and as a way of keeping the team looking different than the other teams.

Conclusion

The Pittsburgh Steelers logo belongs to one of the most beloved teams in the NFL. Their long history is one of pride and excellence, and their logo is a tribute to the hard-working men and women of their hometown. For other similar articles, check out the Washington Redskins and the Chicago Blackhawks logos.

Image sources: Wikipedia, Sportslogos.net

With a history longer than a century, the Boston Red Sox are a true staple of Major League Baseball. Over the course of its existence, the team has gone through quite a few logo changes. And we are going to see what makes the Red Sox logo so adored nationwide.

In this article, we are going to look at the design elements most prominently featured in the Red Sox logo. We are also going to cover some interesting facts about the team, including about one of the team’s most famous fans. So, whether you have Boston Red Sox tickets to the next game, or you’re more of a Yankees fan yourself, let’s dig into this history lesson.

Boston Red Sox Logo Design Elements

The current version of the Boston Red Sox logo features a simplistic pair of red socks with white heels and toes. It is both a throwback to an earlier logo, and a brilliant example of minimalistic design. Very straight and to the point, the Red Sox logo manages to say everything about the team with a minimum amount of information – and that is what most good logos are all about.

Red and white have always been the two colors featured in every version of the logo. Meanwhile, blue has just as often been an absentee as it was featured in different renditions of the emblem. And all three colors have their own meanings, about which we will talk later in the article.

Teams of designers usually bounce ideas off each other for every regular and alternate logo the team puts out. So, it should come as no surprise that every single logo associated with the team is a work of art.

Changes and Evolution

Shape

The first version of the Red Sox logo came in 1901, before the team was even named the Red Sox. Back then, they went by the Boston Americans. The team logo simply consisted of the letters B and A written in a font similar to Old English Text MT. Up until 1908, when the team became the Red Sox, it alternated with the word Boston written at a slant.

In 1908, the Red Sox finally made their appearance. They were also sporting a new, name-fitting logo. The first Boston Red Sox logo consisted of a long, red sock, with the word Boston written in white on it. However, this version didn’t last too long.

Merely one year later, the new Red Sox logo rolled along. It simply consisted of the word Boston written in red, in the team’s font. It lasted for two years, until it was replaced in 1912 by the words Red Sox written in the same font. This version lasted until 1923.

It was 1924 when the Red Sox logo finally resembled the one we have today. Lasting until 1960, this version consisted of a pair of red socks with eleven white stitches on each of them.

Next, in 1961, a baseball was added in the background, behind the socks. The socks themselves were also modified, now presenting stiches just on the elastic bands. The stitches on the heel and toes were turned into white squares, and the socks finally took their final form.

In 1970, the ball in the background got slightly different stiches, and in 1976 it was made smaller and included inside a double-rimmed circle. Between the edges of the circle, we had the word Boston written in black, and the words Red Sox in red.

Last, but certainly not least, the 2009 version of the logo was simplified to great extent. Gone were the circle and the baseball, leaving behind only the classic pair of red socks. And this is the version of the Red Sox logo used to this day.

Color

As we’ve said before, the three colors featured in most Red Sox logos are red, white, and blue. Since blue was technically the first color sported by the team, we’ll start with that. Featured in about half of all the primary and alternate Red Sox logos, blue is often a tribute to the original team – not to mention a perfect opportunity to be extra-patriotic by sporting the Red, White, and Blue.

Red, on the other hand, is the primary color of the Red Sox logo. It is the color of fire and blood. Because of this, the logo uses it to evoke ideas of energy, strength, determination, and power. A very emotionally intense color, red is able to raise blood pressure, respiration rates, and even metabolism. This is why so many sports teams love using the color.

Finally, white is the color of purity. It stands for light, innocence, safety, and cleanliness. It is often used to symbolize coolness and calmness. So, the team logo is basically saying that it’s ok to get pumped for the game, because you are safe in its hands.

Font

The Red Sox font has also gone through a few changes. As mentioned, the original team font strongly resembled the Old English Text MT font. However, once the team became the Red Sox, it started experimenting. It wasn’t until the ‘70s that the team finally settled on a font.

The font on which they settled was a simple Tuscan font, giving the Red Sox logo a 19^th century look. Tuscan was a name given by American printers to slab serifs with diamond-shaped points placed on the sides of their letterforms.

Inspiration and Trivia

Widely regarded as one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams in the world, the Red Sox started early. They won their first championship in 1903, two years after they were funded, by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. By 1918, they had won another four championships. From there on out, the team only continued to gather more and more fans.

Speaking of fans, the team has one of the largest fan bases in America. One of the most prominent Red Sox fans is horror legend Stephen King. Often sporting clothing items with the Red Sox logo, the writer has never been secretive about his admiration. In fact, he even wrote a number of stories revolving around the inexhaustible topic of baseball.

Another interesting tidbit is that the team has been using the same ballpark since 1912. From 1901 to 1911, the teak used Huntington Avenue Grounds. Starting with 1912, however, they moved to Fenway Park and stayed there.

The Red Sox logo belongs to one of the most beloved baseball teams in America. Whether you are a fan or not, you can’t deny the fascinating history of the team and its logo. If you’re interested in more sports logos, check out the Washington Redskins, the Chicago Bulls, or the Chicago Blackhawks.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3