The Super Bowl logo has gone through four distinct visual eras since 1967. The Unique Era from Super Bowl I through Super Bowl XLIV, where every game got its own custom-designed mark with host-city motifs, anniversary callouts, and one-of-a-kind compositions. The First Template Era from Super Bowl XLV through XLIX, where the NFL standardized the logo into one wordmark template with rotating Roman numerals. The standalone Super Bowl 50 in 2016, the only game in 60 years that broke from Roman numerals entirely. And the Modern Template Era from Super Bowl LI through LXI, where the league brought the wordmark template back but added city-specific design elements within the letters.
We tracked every single Super Bowl logo from 1967 through 2027 and ranked the eras best to worst. Below is the complete history, the era-by-era grades, and the case for which era of Super Bowl championship branding is the best of all time. For the related franchise breakdowns, see our Stanley Cup Final logo history 1989-2026 and NBA Finals logo history 1986-2025.
The Unique Era · 1967-2010 · Grade: A
The Unique Era is the longest stretch in Super Bowl logo history and the best era of championship branding the NFL has ever produced. Forty-four games, forty-four custom designs, with host-city integration, anniversary callouts, and the kind of per-game character that the modern templated marks have never been able to recreate. The variety is what makes this era the winner.
Some of the all-time standouts:
Super Bowl I (1967) does not even use the words "Super Bowl" anywhere on the logo. The mark reads "First World Championship Game" with "AFL vs NFL" framing across the design, a reminder that the matchup itself was the brand before the league rolled "Super Bowl" out as a permanent name. Starting a 60-year championship branding run with a logo that does not use the championship's eventual name is the kind of historical character only this era could produce.
Super Bowl XXI (1987) in Pasadena was the Rose Bowl game, and the logo leans directly into the venue with a rose motif anchoring the composition. Giants vs Broncos at the actual Rose Bowl, with a championship mark that integrates the host stadium's identity into the design. This is the exact kind of host-city integration the modern era never delivers, and it is one of the cleanest examples of why the Unique Era worked.
Super Bowl XXXI · 1997
New Orleans
Super Bowl XXXII · 1998
San Diego
Super Bowl XXXI (1997) and Super Bowl XXXII (1998) are back-to-back design wins. The XXXI mark for the New Orleans game and the XXXII mark for the San Diego game both pushed Super Bowl branding forward without losing the per-game custom character that defines this era.
Super Bowl XXXVI (2002) is the post-9/11 New Orleans logo and one of the most distinctive Super Bowl marks of the modern half of this era. The design carried the weight of the moment without becoming a memorial logo, and it remains a high point of the early 2000s stretch.
Super Bowl XXXVII (2003) in San Diego is one of the cleanest unique-era designs. The mark captures the host city without leaning on stadium silhouettes or generic football iconography.
Super Bowl XLII (2008) at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale was the Giants vs Patriots Helmet Catch game, and the championship logo for it is incredible work. One of the strongest Super Bowl marks of the entire 60-year run.
Super Bowl XLIV (2010) in Miami delivered the Saints' first championship and a logo that holds up as one of the all-time greats. The Unique Era went out on a high note with this mark before the templated stretch took over.
Not every game in this era was a hit. Super Bowl XV (1981), Super Bowl XXII (1988), and Super Bowl XXIII (1989) leaned into formats that have not aged well, and Super Bowl XL (2006) in Detroit ran a little too simple for what should have been a major 40th-anniversary moment.
XV · 1981
XXII · 1988
XXIII · 1989
XL · 2006
But even the misses in this era are interesting because they were trying something specific to that game and that host city, which is more than the templated marks can claim. The era grade is A.
The First Template Era · 2011-2015 · Grade: D
XLV · 2011
XLVI · 2012
XLVII · 2013
XLVIII · 2014
XLIX · 2015
The 2011-2015 stretch is the worst era of Super Bowl logo design. Super Bowl XLV through Super Bowl XLIX all use the same wordmark template, the same dark palette, the same Roman numeral typography, and the same compositional structure. The five logos look like one logo with five different numerals dropped in. The NFL traded per-game character for templated consistency and the broadcast packages, hospitality assets, and merchandise from this stretch all blur together a decade later.
Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 had a particularly clear chance to break out. The first cold-weather Super Bowl, played at MetLife Stadium in the New York / New Jersey market, with a host city as visually distinctive as any in the league. The result feels muted next to anything from the 1980s or 1990s. The era is uniform, recognizable, and boring. No uniqueness. D.
Super Bowl 50 · 2016 · Grade: B-
Super Bowl 50 · 2016 · Santa Clara
Super Bowl 50 broke the template era for one game. The NFL skipped the Roman numeral L entirely (which would have read awkwardly as "L" alone) and went with "50" written out in a custom gold treatment. The result is the one Super Bowl logo from the past 15 years that anybody actually remembers. Super Bowl 50 is a milestone you remember. The logo is a milestone you remember. Those two facts are connected.
The execution could have pushed harder on the celebratory moment. The gold treatment is solid but the type system is more conservative than a 50th-anniversary mark would justify, and the supporting design language across the broadcast and event package never matched the standalone strength of the "50" mark itself. We grade Super Bowl 50 a B-. Cool standalone, smart break from the template, room for more.
The Modern Template Era · 2017-2027 · Grade: B
The Modern Template Era brought the wordmark template back after Super Bowl 50 but with one key upgrade. Each year's logo now uses the same overall wordmark structure with the Roman numerals filled with city-specific design elements rather than a flat template. Super Bowl LI through Super Bowl LXI all use this updated approach, and the recent ones starting in 2022 deliver real visual variety even within the template constraint.
The early years of this era are the weakest. Super Bowl LI (2017) through Super Bowl LV (2021) ran conservative within the template, the city-specific design treatment was less developed, and the marks read as a slightly nicer version of the 2011-2015 stretch.
LI · 2017
LII · 2018
LIII · 2019
LIV · 2020
LV · 2021
Starting in 2022 the era hit its stride:
Super Bowl LVII (2023) in Glendale is one of the strongest modern-era marks. The Arizona desert design treatment inside the numerals brings a real sense of place to the mark.
Super Bowl LX (2026) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara captures the San Francisco Bay Area without leaning on tired Golden Gate Bridge imagery, which is harder to do than it sounds.
Super Bowl LXI (2027) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood is the most energetic mark in this era. The Los Angeles design language baked into the letters carries the energy of the city in a way the early template years never did.
The era grade is B. We wish the league would commit to going back to a fully unique logo every single year, but the within-letter design treatment is at least keeping each game from feeling completely interchangeable. A full letter grade better than the 2011-2015 stretch.
The Winner · The Unique Era 1967-2010
The Unique Era is the best era of Super Bowl logo design and it is not particularly close. Forty-four games, forty-four custom designs, with host-city integration, anniversary callouts, and the kind of per-game character that the modern templates have not been able to recreate. The fact that the very first Super Bowl logo does not even use the words "Super Bowl" is a perfect bookend for an era that refused to be confined.
The two template eras have value. Super Bowl 50 is a fine standalone moment. But the league owes its fans a return to one-off logos every year, and until that happens the Unique Era will remain the high point of Super Bowl championship branding.
Frequently Asked Questions About Super Bowl Logos
What was the first Super Bowl logo?
The first Super Bowl logo (Super Bowl I, January 1967) does not use the words "Super Bowl" anywhere on the mark. It reads "First World Championship Game · AFL vs NFL." The Super Bowl name was only adopted as the official championship name a few years after the inaugural Packers vs Chiefs game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Why doesn't Super Bowl 50 use the Roman numeral L?
The NFL skipped the Roman numeral L for the 50th Super Bowl because L alone would have read awkwardly as a standalone championship mark. The league commissioned a one-off "50" wordmark in a custom gold treatment instead, making Super Bowl 50 the only game in 60 years of Super Bowl history to break from Roman numerals entirely.
Why do recent Super Bowl logos all look similar?
Starting with Super Bowl XLV in 2011, the NFL adopted a standardized wordmark template. The first template era (Super Bowl XLV through XLIX, 2011-2015) used essentially the same logo every year with only the Roman numeral changing. The Modern Template Era starting with Super Bowl LI in 2017 kept the wordmark structure but added city-specific design elements inside the letters, which is why recent logos look related but not identical.
What is the best Super Bowl logo of all time?
The Unique Era from 1967 through 2010 produced the best Super Bowl logos. Standouts include Super Bowl I (1967, "First World Championship Game"), Super Bowl XXI (1987, with the rose for the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena), Super Bowl XXXVI (2002, post-9/11 New Orleans), Super Bowl XLII (2008, Glendale), and Super Bowl XLIV (2010, Miami). Forty-four games and forty-four custom designs is the high point of Super Bowl championship branding.
Has every Super Bowl had a unique logo?
For the first 44 Super Bowls (1967-2010), every game had a fully unique custom logo. The NFL switched to a standardized template starting with Super Bowl XLV in 2011, broke the template for one year with Super Bowl 50 in 2016, and resumed an updated template starting with Super Bowl LI in 2017 with city-specific elements added inside the letters.
Where will Super Bowl LX and Super Bowl LXI be played?
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for February 2026 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in the greater Los Angeles area. Both logos have been revealed and are ranked above.
Who designs Super Bowl logos?
Super Bowl logos are designed by the NFL's in-house creative team in coordination with the host committee for that year's game and external design partners. The league office approves the final mark, and the merchandise, broadcast, and stadium signage all roll out from there.
What was the most criticized Super Bowl logo era?
The First Template Era (Super Bowl XLV through XLIX, 2011-2015) drew the most criticism from designers and fans. Every logo in that five-year stretch used essentially the same template with only the Roman numeral changing year to year, and the era is widely regarded as the worst stretch of Super Bowl championship branding.
Every Super Bowl Logo, 1967 to 2027
Every Super Bowl logo from 1967 through 2027 in chronological order. The Unique Era runs from Super Bowl I through Super Bowl XLIV in the top portion of the grid. The First Template Era stretch is the run of dark identical wordmarks from Super Bowl XLV through XLIX. Super Bowl 50 is the one gold standout that breaks the run. The Modern Template Era picks up with Super Bowl LI and runs through Super Bowl LXI in 2027.
For the related franchise logo history breakdowns, see our Stanley Cup Final logo history 1989-2026 and NBA Finals logo history 1986-2025.