Ranking Super Bowl logos from best to worst originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The game of football has evolved over the last 56 years – and the same can be said about Super Bowl logos.
Back in January of 1967, the first Super Bowl was held under the official name of “First World Championship Game” between the AFL and NFL. Since then, the two leagues have merged and the Super Bowl has grown into a worldwide spectacle.
Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will be played in Glendale, Ariz., and it has an appropriate logo to honor the host city:
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With that in mind, it’s time to look back at some old Super Bowl logos. Here are some of the best and worst designs in NFL history:
What are the best Super Bowl logos ever?
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In chronological order, here are the 10 best Super Bowl logos ever:
Super Bowl XIII, 1978: This is a clean design with the red and blue dots that look like you’re playing Space Invaders. It doesn’t have any ties to the host city of Miami, but it’s a great look.
Super Bowl XIV, 1979: The logo was slightly tweaked a year later with the same colors but a unique font, which makes it clear that the game was played in Los Angeles.
Super Bowl XXIV, 1989: Sticking with the red, white and blue theme, this logo is made for a movie poster. Simple, yet effective and still creative.
Super Bowl XXVI, 1991: The ball levitating is cool, even if it makes no sense for the host city of Minnesota. Certainly random, but it does kind of look like the Lombardi Trophy.
Super Bowl XXVII, 1992: From the moment you look at this logo, you know it was played at the Rose Bowl. It’s a classy look with a perfect ode to the California stadium.
Super Bowl XXVIII, 1993: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. With the game in Atlanta the following year, the logo featured Georgia peaches.
Super Bowl XXXI, 1996: Can you get any more New Orleans than this? The purple, green and gold were a perfect tribute to Mardi Gras.
Super Bowl XXXIII, 1998: Bright colors and effective use of the long numerals. The ‘90s really were the golden era of Super Bowl logos.
Super Bowl XXXVI, 2001: After the 9/11 attacks, the NFL ditched its original Super Bowl XXXVI logo for this patriotic look. Fittingly, the New England Patriots won the game.
Super Bowl 50, 2015: The NFL ditched the Roman numerals for Super Bowl 50, and it paid off with a sweet logo. The San Francisco skyline silhouette in the numbers was a great touch.
What are the worst Super Bowl logos ever?
In chronological order, here are the 12 worst Super Bowl logos:
Super Bowl X, 1975: This one isn’t particularly bad, it’s just a bit boring. It feels like they could’ve done something way more creative with only an “X” numeral to fit in.
Super Bowl XV, 1980: There’s really nothing special to this one. No unique font, no popping colors – just bland.
Super Bowl XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, 2010-14: When the NFL went away from the custom logos to a more simplified design in 2010, part of the Super Bowl allure was lost. The only bit of creativity in these were the changing stadiums in the background.
Super Bowl LI, LII, LIII, 2016-18: The NFL got slightly more creative after Super Bowl 50, adding just a touch of color to the silver numerals. Not sure why they didn’t just use the Lombardi Trophy as the “I,” though.
Super Bowl LIV, LV, 2019-20: These two are, without a doubt, the worst of the bunch. The trophy in the middle makes Super Bowl LIV look like LIIV and Super Bowl LV look like LIV.
