The New England Patriots started their NFL career in 1960 and were first named the Boston Patriots. The team’s logo started simpler than what we know it today, using only a simplistic tricorne hat for the emblem. Once the team started to see the other’s team logos and the difference, they decided to rebrand their logo to make it up to par. Since 1960 we’ve seen the NFL team grow massively, becoming one of the strongest and most well-known teams in all of the NFL.
Their logo has certainly been substantial in helping them make it as far as they’ve come, giving their team a brand identity and something for fans to recognize and associate the team with. This logo has traveled the journey with the team to make it this far and is now printed on merchandise, uniforms, and much more for the team! It’s one of a kind and stands out amidst all the team logos that we see in the NFL.
Although we see a simple yet bold and straightforward logo for the team today, that wasn’t what it always was. The logo has grown with the team and just as the team has, the logo has had to change and adapt to the NFL and how it’s grown.
Let’s take a deep dive into the history of the logo and the legendary team that we’ve grown to love!
1960 – 1961: The Blue and White Hat
The very first logo that was created for the Boston Patriots (today known as the New England Patriots) was a simple hat. This hat used blue and white for the color scheme and was introduced in 1960. It was minimalist, only showing a tricorne hat, the type that soldiers would wear. This logo was simple, clean, and didn’t hold any other elements except for the simple hat.
1961 – 1964: The First Redesign
The first logo only stayed with the team for a year before they decided that the logo needed a change. The logo got its first redesign in 1961, still including the hat from the team’s first logo. This new emblem showed a man in his military uniform that was holding a football, with the hat from the previous logo on his head. This logo opted to use the colors of the American flag; red, white, and blue. The military man appeared to be determined and ready to play, his uniform and hat standing out in bright red for the logo.
1965 – 1970: A Change In Colors
A few years later and the logo got a few elements changed to define the logo. The team opted to contour the logo and refine it, including a new pink shade in the logo for the military man’s skin. The previously red football was now shown in brown and looked more realistic than it had before. The man shown in the logo was now known as Pat Patriot and had become a symbol closely recognized with the team.
1971 – 1992: Another Change
In 1971 the football team decided to make a big change; they decided to change their name from Boston Patriots to New England Patriots. They kept using the previous logo that they had opted to use consistently before. Pat Patriot was still kept as the identity for the team and was what fans continued to associate with the team, even after they had been renamed. Pat stayed with the Patriots until they adopted an entirely new logo in 1993.
1993 – 1999: A New Design
The early 1990s marked the time that New England Patriots opted to use a completely new design for their team. They realized that they had to change from the logo that they had used previously to keep a cleaner and more modern look for their team than what they had before. By now the team itself had changed and grown quite a bit, so it was only suiting that the logo grew and advanced with the team. That’s why they decided to have graphic designer Ken Loh create their emblem in 1993.
The designer came up with the logo that we now associate with the team today, creating the iconic emblem that has certainly made its mark both in the NFL and the world. This new logo showed Pat Patriots head, wearing a revolutionary cocked hat. This logo meant the team’s goals; it was elegant and could easily be used on a wide range of advertising. There was also a white shining star that was shown on the top of Pat Patriots’ head.
2000 – Today: The Logo Now
Then, of course, there’s the logo that we’ve now grown to love and associate with one of the most amazing Then, of course, there’s the logo that we’ve now grown to love and associate with one of the most amazing football teams of all time. This logo is identical to the one previously shown, only changing slightly in 2000. The only change that was made is that the blue shade got a little darker than it had been before. Everything else stayed the same except for the blue shade, making sure that the logo stayed consistent and recognizable.
Elements Of The Logo
Certain elements of the logo stand out and have helped the logo become as iconic as it is today. These elements have been critical in adapting a modern logo that aligns with the football team and makes it into what we know it as today. These elements have been a crucial part of developing an iconic and legendary football logo.
The Colors
The red and navy blue color scheme is iconic and has been with the logo for years. It’s a part of the logo that we’ve come to associate with the team and is shown in their uniforms as well as their merchandise. The shades may have slightly changed since 1961, but it’s still the same iconic color choices.
The Symbol
Of course, there’s the iconic symbol that makes the logo what it is and signifies the team. This symbol is the part of the logo that truly makes it what it is, having created an icon that’s so legendary it simply can’t be forgotten. It includes the primary features of the American flag and stands for the early history of America.
The History Of The New England Patriots
Similar to the team’s iconic logo, they also have a strong history behind them that has gotten them this far. They’ve become one of the most celebrated and famous NFL teams in history, but the New England Patriots didn’t start that way. They started drastically different from where they are now and they’ve had both ups and downs in their career. They’ve come a long way since they first started and their history has earned them their title and their position in the NFL.
The history of the New England Patriots began on November 16th, 1959. This was when Billy Sullivan, a Boston business executive, was awarded the eighth and final franchise in the new American Football League. The next winter a contest was held where locals could submit ideas for the football team’s official name. When the name “Boston Patriots” was submitted for the contest it sparked Sullivan’s interest and was immediately chosen to be the football team’s official name.
The name for the football tea reflected Boston’s role in early American history and was what sparked the iconic “Pat Patriot” logo that was one of the team’s early logos. Sullivan immediately wanted to make sure that he formed a competitive and competent team, being quick to form a team that included quarterback Vito “Babe” Parilli. The team’s early years in the AFL had them playing without a regular home stadium. In their second season, the Patriots posted a winning record and were meant with success.
However, the team had struggles further down the road and didn’t have as much success as they had when they first started. The team recorded seven consecutive losing seasons and they were still struggling to find a permanent home stadium. They were playing at different Boston area locations for ten years. However, in 1871 they were renamed from the Boston Patriots to the New England Patriots.
Things started looking up for the team in the 1970s and 80s. They were beginning to see success again and they advanced to their first Super Bowl in 1986. They lost, but eleven years later they returned for their second Super Bowl. This time they lost to the Green Bay Packers, but they were on their way to a franchise record. In 2000 the team made one of their biggest and most significant decisions; hiring Bill Belichick as head coach for the team.
The new head coach was quick to build a powerful team, one that hired only the best players for the team. Amongst these was Tom Brady, who joined the team after Bledsoe had a serious injury in 2001. Brady took over the team’s offense and was the one to take the lead with the Super Bowl win the following year. Little did the team know that Brady was the key to unlocking the team’s success that they had been hoping for. In the following years, they continued to shatter offensive records and make history with their team.
In Super Bowl XLII they lost to New York Giants, but the team continued to remain strong in the NFL. The Patriots had a Super Bowl rematch with New York Giants following their 2011 campaign. They lost again to the team, but once again they continued to win following seasons. The following decade they experienced numerous wins and they won the Super Bowl in a match against the Seattle Seahawks. They had another Super Bowl win against the Atlanta Falcons and continued their championship.
They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in a later Super Bowl, making it a total of five Super Bowl losses for the Patriots. But they had another win when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13 – 3 and claimed their sixth win. The team has continued to have many wins throughout their time and is still one of the strongest and most well-known teams in the NFL.
Summing Up The History Of The Patriots
The New England Patriots are one of the most famous and legendary football teams of all time, having earned their title in the NFL. They’re a team that has come a long way and proven time and time again that they’ve earned their place in the football world. The team has advanced to the Super Bowl many times, making six wins and counting. They’re a strong team that has broken countless records and worked hard to have millions of fans around the world and continue making history with each game that they play.
As with any NFL team, the Patriots have a visual identity that fans use to recognize them, and that has become a part of who the team is. The team’s logo has a logo history and has undergone a variety of changes to get it to the place that we know it as today. The first logo was shown in 1960 and since then it’s been changed numerous times to get to the result that we see today.
