Detroit Lions Logo PNG
Beginning in 1929, the Lions of Detroit has served as a sporting advocate for several cities they have hosted throughout their existence. The name and success of the team reflect the Detroit Lions logo, symbolizing the aggressive side of the game, strength, and the desire to offend the enemy.
Detroit Lions: Brand overview
| Founded: | July 12, 1930 |
| Founder: | Sheila Ford Hamp |
| Headquarters: |
Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Website: | detroitlions.com |
The Detroit Lions are a professional football team that plays in the National Football Conference North division. The team is the NFL member since 1930. It was founded in 1929 in Portsmouth, Ohio. Initially, the franchise was named the Portsmouth Spartans. It officially joined the National Football League on July 12, 1930. Despite obvious success within the NFL, the Portsmouth Spartans were unable to survive during the Great Depression, whose devastating effects were most disastrous for small cities like Portsmouth.
Low revenue and other financial difficulties forced the owners to sell the franchise to a group of investors headed by George A. Richards, the Detroit radio station executive director. They paid $795,208 to cover the team’s debts and a $15,000 NFL franchise fee. After purchasing the team in 1934, George A. Richards relocated it to Detroit, Michigan. The team finished its inaugural season in second place in the Western division. In 1940, the franchise was sold to Chicago department store executive Fred Mandel for $225,000. Eight years later, in 1958, the club went to Edwin J. Anderson and Lyle Fife, who owned it until 1964. At the end of November 1963, William Clay Ford Jr., the former vice-chairman of the Ford Motor Company, became the Lions’ sole owner when he purchased control shares of the team’s stock for $4.5 million. In 2014, the controlling interest in the Detroit Lions passed to Martha Firestone Ford.
The history of the team name is quite interesting since few NFL members changed their names. Originally, it was called Portsmouth Spartans to honor their hometown. After relocating to Detroit, George A. Richards renamed the Detroit Lions team a nod to the Detroit Tigers baseball franchise. The new owner explained that the club would be the king of the league, as the lion is a king of the jungle. The Lions delivered on that promise by winning their first NFL Championship in 1935.
Meaning and History
The Detroit Lions are among the many NFL teams that share the name, mascot, and central logo image. This was not always the case: until a certain time, it was called Portsmouth Spartans. But even then, the emblem fully reflected the club’s nickname, as it contained the corresponding inscription, made in bold type with rectangular serifs. Then the team was renamed Detroit Lions, and after that, they got a whole series of themed logos with lions. The first was colorful and cartoony; the second was white with a blue outline; all the following were blue. All Detroit Lions logos feature the image of a lion, which has a double meaning. First, it is a kind of compliment to the Detroit Tigers baseball team. Second, the owners hope that the monarch of the jungle will become the king on the NFL playing fields.
What is Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions are former Portsmouth Spartans who started playing in the NFL in 1930. The team moved to another city four years after debuting and was given a new name at the same time. She has won several league championships but has never won a Super Bowl in a long time.
1929 – 1933
Since the team’s initial name was the Portsmouth Spartans, the logo included two wordmarks. The upper part of the logo was presented with beige-scripted “PORTSMOUTH” in capital letters trimmed with a black border. The “SPARTANS” in black with the golden-beige border was placed below. It was also written in capital letters, yet they were slightly expanded to acquire an exact rectangular shape.
1952 – 1960
The first Lion logotype included a lion, of course, and a football player holding a ball. Both of them demonstrated decisiveness, aspiration, and immediate readiness for action. The beast opened the mouth to roar. Its belly was pressed to the ground as if it was preparing to jump. The football player was also leaning forward as waiting for the signal to attack. He was wearing a red T-shirt, blue pants and a helmet. Both figures were outlined in black.
1961 – 1969
In 1961, the logo became much simpler, both in design and in the color scheme. The new logo featured a minimalistic white lion with a thin blue outline and two wide stripes (blue and grey) in the background. The color palette of the given logo was changed dramatically, being switched to a white-blue spectrum. The lion’s belly was still pressed to the ground. This pose symbolized its singleness of purpose and readiness for a burst of energy. Besides, the wild beast was drawn lean and fit to evidence the players’ perfect physical shape. The lion was depicted in full length with the tail bent forward, which is also an allegory of orientation towards the goal.
1970 – 2002
The logo of this era was unique since, in 1970, the iconic leaping lion appeared in the team logo for the first time. The creative staff radically redesigned the previous logo. The beast was portrayed in a jump: its hind paws were on the ground, while its forepaws were in the air. Its posture made a dynamic impression. At the same time, the lion had no facial features, just a muzzle without eyes, mouth, and nose that caught schematically. The figure had a white outline and one more blue outline around it.
2003 – 2008
This logo was tweaked in 2003, yet it underwent slight alterations. It still featured a fierce leaping lion with a lush mane. As before, the beast’s muzzle had no obvious shape: just schematic mouth and nose hard to guess. Lion’s posture emphasized the aggressive side of the game, power, and desire to offend. The beast much resembled the heraldic lion rampant as depicted in profile standing erect with forepaws raised. The only difference from the previous version was a thick black outline instead of blue.
2009 – 2016
In 2009, the leaping blue lion acquired a more prominent shape. Now paws, mane, face, and torso were seen. Designers attempted to make it look much more realistic. Besides, the lion had fangs, which seemed extremely effective tools for threatening the enemies. The eye, mane, and tail elements were drawn as well. A fierce character was contoured in white and then in black.
2017 – today
After several attempts to improve the logo, the designers finally got what they wanted. The current version, adopted in 2017, has come a long way in evolution. Since 1970, it has changed several times. Artists experimented with stroke color, lion shape, and the location of inner paths. As a result, they presented the final version, which completely satisfied the leaders of the club. The Detroit Lions logo compares to the prior one has a sharper look. Strands in the flowing mane and animal’s eye are visible. The hind legs are smaller than the forelegs, which remained massive. It is a perfect allusion to the king of the jungle – agile, fierce, and strong. The black outline is toned down to a light grey color.
Font and Colors
The official graphic of the Detroit Lions features a blue lion silhouette outlined in two stripes, white and light gray. The animal stands on its hind legs and keeps its front legs raised. There is a reference here to the traditional heraldic lions that adorn the arms of many states and cities in the United States. The artists depicted the mane schematically but quite recognizably. Also, they slightly detailed the legs and head – as much as the chosen style allows.
Since there are no inscriptions, there is no question of the font: the logo’s creators paid the main attention to the drawing. Over the past 50 years, it has changed little, except for a slight transformation of the outlines and an update of the palette. The lion silhouette has always been blue, but at first, a darker shade was used. Now blue is close to blue. The color of the outline has also changed: in the current version, it is light gray, almost silvery.
Detroit Lions color codes
| Honolulu Blue | Hex color: | #0076b6 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 118 182 | |
| CMYK: | 100 35 0 12 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 2196 C |
| Silver | Hex color: | #b0b7bc |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 176 183 188 | |
| CMYK: | 3 0 0 32 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 877 C Metallic |
When did the Lions change their logo?
The football club regularly updates its logo. For example, in 1961, he stylized a lion to resemble an Egyptian drawing; in 1970, he presented the first version of the blue silhouette; in 2003, he added a black outline; in 2009, he highlighted the main details, and in 2017 he repainted the outer line in silver.
What is the logo for the Detroit Lions?
The logo of this team features a blue silhouette of a jumping lion. It is not detailed, but the artists used white strokes to shape it. The animal is outlined along the contour with a silvery stripe.
Is the Detroit Lions logo copyrighted?
Yes, like the graphics for the rest of the National Football League, the Detroit Lions logo is copyrighted.
Did the Lions change their logo?
Detroit Lions change their logo very often. The last time this happened was in 2017: the designers slightly changed the shape of the lion and outlined its silhouette with a silver line.
