Minnesota Vikings Logo PNG
The Minnesota Vikings logo, which displays the head of a Viking, visually confirms the football club’s name. The emblem’s symbolism focuses on the name, origin, and characteristics characteristic of the courageous Scandinavian warriors.
Minnesota Vikings: Brand overview
| Founded: | January 28, 1960 |
| Founder: | Zygi, Leonard, Mark Wilf |
| Headquarters: |
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Website: | vikings.com |
Minnesota Vikings is a professional football team from the USA and an NFL member. It belongs to the Western Conference of the NFC Central Division. The team is located in Minneapolis, State of Minnesota, and created in 1960 as a franchise extension.
In a year after creation, the club had joined the National Football League and has been its member since that time. A group of businessmen became its first owners: Bill Boyer Sr., Bernie Ridder, Max Winter, Ole Haugsrud, and H. P. Skoglund. They managed the franchise within this group by 1972. Then Boyer left them, and Haugsrud left a bit later – in1976. As a result, the team was left to the three founders.
In 1988 the number of Minnesota Viking’s shareholders was greatly extended: Carl Pohlad and Irwin Jacobs joined Skoglund, Ridder и Winter. From 1991 to 1998, Roger Headrick was the sole franchise owner. Later he transferred it to Red McCombs for $250 mln. He sold it to Zygi Wilf after a failed attempt to change the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome stadium. Since 2005 the club has been owned by Wilf with his five family members and Reggie Fowler. They bought it for $600 mln.
The club got its official name right after creation – on September 27, 1960. General Manager Bert Rose recommended it to the Board of Directors. In his opinion, such a name ideally captures the key essence of Minnesota – the Scandinavian penchant of the local culture. It reflects a Nordic self-restrained fighter with a staunch will to win. That’s how the team has become the first one whose name includes not the location town but the state.
Meaning and History
Famous Minnesota Vikings logo with a Norseman image is courtesy of Karl Hubenthal – sports artists at Angeles Times. This happened in 1961. During the franchise history, it has three logo versions, which were very alike. The official logo colors are yellow (Vikings Gold), white and black. Later violet was added.
What are Minnesota Vikings?
Minnesota Vikings is an NFC North member of the NFL. In terms of the number of victories, they are the leader of the rest of the league teams that have never won the Super Bowl. At the same time, they have another record – the most losses in the playoffs. The football club was founded in 1960 in Minneapolis and has never moved from there.
1961 – 1965
This version of the Minnesota Vikings logo represented the history and traditions of Ancient Vikings. It contained a steadfast, brave warrior who was not afraid of obstacles. He had an intent expression, and all facial muscles are strained. This symbolized his inner drive to victory. His eyes were squinty, and he was looking ahead closely. It seemed that the Viking’s hair sided with the horned helmet as a symbol of inborn war lust. The peculiar tail and helmet were drawn in moderate sand color, and the mustache and brows were white. All elements were outlined in black.
1966 – 2012
On this Minnesota Vikings logo, the head was turned opposite – to the right. The image was made more realistic: the Viking has a natural skin color (beige rose and light typical for Norsemen), golden mustache, and brows (they match the hair tressed in a tale typical for Vikings). A dark violet band was added on the helmet. The sharp horns were left white with a blacktop. The touches became sharper and more certain – the close look was underlined, and the noise was removed from the face.
2013 – today
On this Minnesota Vikings logo, the head was turned opposite – to the right. The image was made more realistic: the Viking has a natural skin color (beige rose and light typical for Norsemen), golden mustache, and brows (they match the hair tressed in a tale typical for Vikings). A dark violet band was added to the helmet. The sharp horns were left white with a blacktop. The touches became sharper and more certain – the close look was underlined, and the noise was removed from the face.
Font and Colors
Minnesota Vikings are the first NFL team to have a state rather than a city name. Moreover, its logo is also closely associated with Minnesota because it reflects this administrative-territorial unit’s historical heritage. The Viking image is part of the local culture, as a large percentage of the state’s population is Norwegians. In a sports context, it symbolizes willpower, an unshakable spirit, and a desire to win.
The idea for the emblem came from the artist Karl Hubenthal, who in 1961 provided the club with a ready-made drawing: the image of the head of a stern warrior wearing a horned helmet. Particular emphasis was placed on long mustaches, eyebrows, and braided hair – characteristic features of the Scandinavian.
Over time, designers have changed the graphic sign, giving it a modern look. They turned the Viking to the right, emphasized the gaze, and brought the skin color closer to its natural shade. In 2013, the shape of the horns on the helmet was updated: the developers achieved a three-dimensional effect by correcting minor details.
The lack of inscriptions is explained by the fact that the logo does not need any additions – it is self-sufficient and fully corresponds to the style of Minnesota Vikings. And for the image to be harmonious from an artistic point of view, the designers paid attention to the correct shapes and proportions and the selection of colors. The resulting palette includes light yellow for the hair, mustache, eyebrows, top of the helmet, blue for the bottom of the headgear, beige for the face, white for the horns, and black for the contours.
Minnesota Vikings color codes
| Purple | Hex color: | #4f2683 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 79 38 131 | |
| CMYK: | 82 100 0 12 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 268 C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #ffc62f |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 255 198 47 | |
| CMYK: | 0 23 91 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 123 C |
What does the Minnesota Vikings logo mean?
The Minnesota Vikings logo has no hidden meanings – it just reflects the team’s name. It features a Viking head with a long mustache and braided hair. The Scandinavian warrior can be recognized by his characteristic helmet with horns.
Why are the Minnesota Vikings called the Vikings?
This name was given to the football club in 1960. It was intended to reflect the Scandinavian heritage of Minnesota, home to many people from Scandinavia and Nordic countries.
Who designed the Vikings logo?
Bert Rose, the team’s CEO, commissioned the logo from sports cartoonist Karl Hubenthal, who was working for the Los Angeles Times at the time. This is how the original version of the drawing appeared, which was later modernized by other designers.
How many Vikings are in the Hall of Fame?
As of 2021, the Hall of Fame has twenty Minnesota Vikings footballers, one head coach, and one CEO. Among them, seven players have spent only a fraction of their careers with the Vikings and made it to the Hall of Fame thanks to their athletic performance on other teams.
