TDACTU offers you to (re) discover the story of each franchise from the angle of branding and brand image. From the logo to the colors, including the jerseys and the origin of the names, all the visual identity of New York Jets is dissected and explained in this article.
The name of the New York Jets
The history of the name of the New York Jets is closely linked to the development of air transport and the geographic positioning of the team. Before adopting this name, the franchise was known as the New York Titans When it was founded in 1960 As a member of the American Football League (AFL). The man behind this creation was Harry Wismer, a businessman and sports commentator, who wanted to offer New York a competing team from the Giants.
In 1963, the franchise was bought by a group of investors led by Sonny Werblin, an entertainment magnate. With this change of owner, a total overhaul of the team is essential: new coach, new strategy and especially new name. Werblin wanted to erase the inheritance of the Titans, a team in financial difficulty and unaccoming.
The change of course in 1963: from titans to jets
Since 1963, the name New York Jets has remained unchanged, and he has signed up in the history of the NFL. The team has experienced ups and downs, but its visual identity and its branding have always been associated with this idea of speed and innovation. A competition is organized to determine the new identity of the franchise. Several suggestions are emerging, notably Boroughs, Dodgers, Gothams and Jets. It is ultimately jets which is retained for several reasons.
The 1960s were marked by the aviation boom, with the appearance of commercial flights such as the Boeing 707. New York, a hub for world air traffic, was a strong symbol of this new era. The name Jets thus evokes the speed, modernity and power of these new commercial airlines. Werblin then clearly wanted to differentiate his team from the Giants, who played in the same city. Where the giants recalled an imposing and terrestrial image, the jets embodied movement, speed and air.
Finally, the Shea Stadium, where the jets will play, was also the home of the New York Mets (the baseball team). The name “Jets” was therefore in sound consistency with the other team of the stadium, strengthening the common identity of the two franchises.
The visual identity of the New York Jets
The visual identity of New York Jets has experienced several transformations since the creation of the franchise in 1960. If the green and white colors have always been at the heart of the image of the jets, the logos have evolved to reflect the identity of the team, its ambitions and the graphic trends of each era.
Before becoming the jets, the franchise bore the names of the New York titans and sported a completely different logo. This first emblem presented a football player dressed in blue and gold, running with a ball under his arm. The style was very close to the logos of the time, with a detailed graphics and a quasi-cartoon approach. These blue and gold colors were supposed to represent the greatness and power of the Titans of Greek mythology. However, with the buyout of the team in 1963 by Sonny Werblin, the franchise abandoned its name and its logo to adopt a brand new identity: the New York Jets.
The oval with the ball in 1963
The first real Jets logo was born in 1963. It is a green oval with a white border, inside which we find the word “jets” in capital white letters. Just above the text, the letters “NY” appear in green, while a small white football ball is added under the word “jets”.
This simple but effective design establishes the fundamental elements of the visual identity of the jets: green, white, and a sleek graphics evoking the world of football. This logo accompanies the franchise for 14 seasons, notably marking the historic victory at the Super Bowl III in 1969, under the leadership of Joe Namath. Subsequently, the logo changes little. Only the nuance of green changes.
In 1978, jets modernized their visual identity by abandoning the oval for a more dynamic approach. The new logo is made up of the word “jets” written in thick and tilted capital letters to the right, giving an impression of speed. This more aggressive and refined design fits perfectly with the team's ambition at that time. With its frank lines and its angular silhouette, it embodies the competitive spirit of the 80s and 90s. This logo still includes the football ball, a permanent visual identity of the franchise.
A tribute logo to the past
After 20 years with a resolutely modern logo, the jets opened a homecoming in 1998. They reintroduce a logo inspired by that of the years 1960-1970, with the green oval, the letters “NY” and a football ball under the word “jets”.
This change is motivated by a need to reconnect with history and tradition, especially after a period of disappointing performance. The logo nevertheless retains a contemporary touch, with darker green and slightly reworked shapes.
The current logo, a subtle modernization
In 2019, the jets made a new overhaul of their logo. They retain the general structure introduced in 1998 but even more simplify design. The oval becomes less pronounced and the text “Jets” is now written in thick white characters.
The football ball under the text is maintained, although slightly resized. This logo also marks the switch to a brighter and bright green, called “Gotham Green”, accompanied by secondary nuances “Spotlight White” and “Stealth Black”.
New York Jets outfits
Since their creation in 1960, the New York Jets have seen their uniform evolve several times, oscillating between modernity and tradition. Always faithful to their palette of green and white colors, the jets alternated between clean designs and more daring styles, reflecting the identity of the team through the decades.
Before becoming the jets, the team evolved under the name of the New York Titans. Their first uniform was navy blue and gold, a choice of colors that completely contrasts with the current visual identity of the jets. The home jersey is then navy blue with golden numbers and shoulders, while the outdoor jersey is white with numbers and golden shoulders. The helmet is golden, without logo.
With the change of owner in 1963 and the transformation of the franchise, a total rebranding takes place, including at the level of the outfits.
The appearance of green and white in 1963
With the adoption of the name New York Jets, the franchise introduces its first true visual identity, that which will lay the foundations of future developments and also that which we all know today. The home jersey becomes dark green with white numbers, while the outdoor jersey has green numbers on a white background. The pants are white with a green band matching the jersey and the helmet has the already identifiable green oval logo.
In the late 1970s, jets decided to modernize their appearance. Their new outfit is more daring, marked by frank lines and a more dynamic design. The sleeves have a larger white strip while the pants display a double green band on the side.
The 2000s raised a homecoming
At the dawn of the 2000s, the jets returned to their roots in 1998 with a design inspired by their uniforms from the 1960s and 1970s. The home jersey is green with white numbers circled in black, while the exterior outfit has a white jersey with green numbers circulated by black. The pants, at that time, remains white or green, with a thick side strip.
Black is invited to the visual identity of the New York Jets
In 2019, the jets completely changed a look, with a new palette of colors and a more aggressive, more modern design. The color palette used is updated. A bright and bright green entitled “Gotham Green” tings the uniforms. The helmet is found with a shade of green and shiny green effect. White is always present in contrast in the outfits. Finally, black appears for the first time in the history of the franchise for the alternative uniform.
This gives a home green jersey with white numbers and white strips on the shoulders. The outdoor jersey is white dominance with green numbers. Finally, the alternative jersey is entirely black with white numbers and green bands on the shoulders
This change marks a desire for modernization and dynamism, accompanying the beginning of a new cycle for the franchise of jets. The objective is to attract a new generation of fans and embody the energy of an ambitious team, in full reconstruction.
The New York Jets mascot
Unlike the majority of NFL teams, THE New York Jets do not have No official mascot. Since their creation in 1960, the franchise has never introduced an emblematic character to represent the team during matches or promotional events.
Like their neighbors New Yorkthe second franchise big apple Neither does not have an official mascot. CErtaines rumors circulated on the possibility of introducing a mascot for the jets franchise but the idea never materialized. In the 2000s, several fans had suggested a character inspired by a jet pilot or an anthropomorphic plane, but the idea has never seen the light of day. In 2010 discussions also emerged around a mascot to support the modernized visual identity of the franchise but the initiative fell into oblivion. Perhaps excellent news for fans when we know, for example, the mascot of the raiders …
