Cincinnati Bengals Logo PNG
The club name from Cincinnati is a tribute to a departed team and a reflection of the local zoo’s distinctiveness. The modern logo of the Cincinnati Bengals symbolizes the team’s forward-looking nature, adherence to new trends in-game tactics, and respect for its history.
Cincinnati Bengals: Brand overview
| Founded: | May 23, 1967 |
| Founder: | Mike Brown |
| Headquarters: | Cincinnati, Ohio,U.S. |
| Website: | bengals.com |
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team that competes in the National Football League as a member of the AFC North division. After Art Modell was fired as head coach of the Browns in 1963, team founder Paul Brown expressed interest in establishing another NFL franchise in Cincinnati but was denied due to the small size of the city’s stadium.
In 1967, a group of owners led by Paul Brown acquired an American Football League franchise. Brown named the team “Bengals” to “give it a link to Cincinnati’s past professional football.” Another team, Cincinnati Bengals, already existed in the city and had played in three previous American Football Leagues from 1937 to 1942.
However, Brown chose the same shade of orange used by his former team, possibly as an insult to Art Modell or as a tribute to his start as a head coach at Washington School. He added black as the primary color.
After Paul Brown’s death in 1991, his son, Mike Brown, inherited the controlling share of the team. In 2011, Mike Brown acquired shares of the team that belonged to co-founder Austin Knowlton and is now the primary owner of the Bengals.
Meaning and History
The tiger stripes are a timeless classic for the Cincinnati Bengals. All logos of this football team are orange and black, and most feature a pattern of parallel vertical lines. The exception is the emblem from the 1970s-1980s, which features an orange helmet with the black inscription “Bengals.”
The symbol of a running tiger was used in the first year after the club’s foundation. Then began a long period of helmets of various shapes: artists changed their design according to contemporary trends. In 1997, the emblem with the animal returned and remained relevant until it was replaced by a stylized letter “B.”
What are Cincinnati Bengals?
The Cincinnati Bengals are a team in the Northern Division (American Football Conference) of the National Football League. The club was founded in 1966 and played its first season in 1968. As of 2021, the primary owner of the club is Mike Brown. The Cincinnati franchise is the only NFL or AFL team to have won a championship and is one of twelve teams that have failed to win the Super Bowl.
1968 – 1969
As its first logo, the Cincinnati Bengals chose a caricature of a Bengal tiger running with a football under its right arm. The animal is detailed, and the selected angle opens its mouth with sharp fangs. In the top left corner is a white helmet with the head of another tiger drawn on the side. The chin strap of this helmet is unfastened.
1970 – 1980
After joining the AFC Central division, the club changed its logo. They removed the cartoon tiger, replacing it with a two-dimensional helmet with the inscription “Bengals” in print letters. The letters are black with a white outline. The font is sans serif. The helmet is orange: Paul Brown chose the same shade of orange as the “Cleveland Browns,” as an insult to his former colleague Art Modell. The shape of the logo completely matches the emblem of the rival team.
1981 – 1989
In 1981, the Cincinnati Bengals introduced a new logo. The word “Bengals” disappeared, the front side became larger, and the contours became more distinct. The color scheme was also changed: the orange became significantly darker. Wavy lines appeared on the helmet, imitating a tiger pattern. Six black stripes of different lengths and thicknesses stretch from the top, slightly curling at the ends.
1990 – 1996
In 1990, the Cincinnati Bengals logo underwent further changes. The shape of the wavy stripes on the helmet was altered.
1997 – 2003
In 1997, the Cincinnati Bengals used a Bengal tiger and their name on the logo. The tiger is jumping and about to land on its front paws. The animal is aggressive, as indicated by its bared claws and fierce face. Around the tiger is a white outline separating it from other elements.
The wordmark “Cincinnati Bengals” is arranged in two lines. The first word is lowercase white, and the second is uppercase orange with a white outline. The word “Bengals” is written in a serif font. This font is characterized by rough geometric shapes, large serifs, and angularity. The background behind the wordmark is black.
2004 – today
The current logo of the Cincinnati Bengals was adopted in 2004. It was developed by Verlander Design, which chose simplicity and selected the first letter of the football club’s nickname as the main element. They removed the tiger and long words, leaving only a short orange letter “B” covered with three black tiger stripes. The font is the same as in the previous version – slab serif without bends on the serifs. The “B” looks short and concise. Designers made the top and bottom symmetrical, thus achieving harmony of proportions.
Three black lines with pointed ends cross the orange letter from the top. The tiger pattern reminds of the striped helmet that appeared on the logo in 1981. The debut of the new emblem of the Cincinnati Bengals took place on April 22, two days before the NFL draft.
Cincinnati Bengals: Interesting Facts
The Cincinnati Bengals are a football team from Cincinnati, Ohio that started playing in 1968. They’ve had ups and downs but have a strong history, many exciting moments, and dedicated fans.
- How They Started: Paul Brown, who used to coach the Cleveland Browns, made the Bengals. They got their name from an earlier team in Cincinnati, showing the city’s love for big cats.
- Early Days: They played their first year in the American Football League (AFL) in 1968 before joining the NFL in 1970. They were good from the start because Paul Brown was a great leader.
- Their Stadium: Since 2000, they have played at Paul Brown Stadium, named after their founder. It’s known for its cool design, including a horseshoe shape and river view.
- Super Bowl Games: They’ve been to the Super Bowl thrice but haven’t won yet. They played in 1981 and 1988 against the San Francisco 49ers and in 2021 against the Los Angeles Rams.
- Ickey Shuffle: In the late 1980s, Ickey Woods, a player, did a famous dance called the “Ickey Shuffle” when he scored. People still remember it because it was so fun.
- Their Helmets: They have helmets with tiger stripes, making them look different from other teams. This started in 1981 and shows off their tiger theme.
- Comeback Kid: Ken Anderson, a quarterback from 1971 to 1986, was great at winning games when they were behind. That’s why people called him “The Comeback Kid.”
- Fast Plays: In the 1980s, with quarterback Boomer Esiason, they often played without stopping to huddle. This helped them move fast and surprise the other team.
- The Jungle: People call their stadium “The Jungle” because of the loud fans and the team’s name. It’s a fun place to watch a game.
- Getting Better: The Bengals have been doing well recently, thanks to new players like quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase. They’ve made the team exciting again.
- Helping Out: The Bengals greatly help their community, especially with the Bengals Community Fund. They focus on helping kids, families, and schools in Cincinnati.
The Bengals have a cool story with lots of special players and moments. They keep working hard, trying to win, and doing good things for their city.
Font and Colors
The letter “B,” which begins the word “Bengals,” reflects the character of the Bengal tiger. It looks “predatory” due to the pointed corners and orange-black palette. The pattern consists of traditional stripes, so recognizing tiger motifs will not be difficult, even for those unfamiliar with the team’s name. The emblem was presented on April 22, 2004, at an official event.
The designers did without inscriptions, limiting themselves to just a stylized letter “B.” No fonts were used in its development: specialists from Verlander Design Studio created the design from scratch, specifically for the Cincinnati Bengals. They also tried to preserve the original palette, including the traditional club colors: black and orange. Long ago, the original franchise owner, Paul Brown, chose orange as the primary shade and added black as a secondary one.
Cincinnati Bengals color codes
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 70 50 50 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
| Orange | Hex color: | #fb4f14 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 211 47 30 | |
| CMYK: | 0 85 100 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 1655 C |
FAQ
What does the Cincinnati Bengals logo represent?
The Cincinnati Bengals logo represents a stylized letter B, written in a bold font with large triangular serifs. It is executed in the colors of the Bengal tiger – orange and black stripes.
When did Mike Brown take over the Bengals?
In 1991, Mike Brown inherited the Bengals’ shares that belonged to his father, Paul Brown. Then, in 2011, he bought out Austin Knowlton’s share and became the team’s primary owner.
Why “Cincinnati Bengals”?
Paul Brown gave the football club this name. He chose it due to the black and orange color scheme, which matches the Bengal tiger’s coloring. Additionally, the American coach wanted the fourth version of the AFL, like the two previous ones, to have its Cincinnati Bengals franchise.
Where did the name Cincinnati Bengals come from?
The current Cincinnati Bengals team is not the first to use this name. It was inherited from the previous Cincinnati Bengals team, which participated in two versions of the AFL.
