The Miami Dolphins are a National Football League franchise based in the Greater Miami area. The team’s visual identity has centered on a leaping dolphin in front of a sunburst since the franchise’s founding in 1966, with the core concept remaining consistent through several refinements over nearly six decades.
Design and History
The original Miami Dolphins logo was created by Bill Bodenhamer, who drew the leaping, helmeted dolphin in 1965 for a fee of $250. The mark debuted with the team’s founding in 1966 and featured a dolphin wearing a Miami Dolphins helmet, facing right, positioned against a circular sunburst. The two primary colors were aqua and coral, the latter a reference to the coral reefs of Biscayne Bay. [1] [2] [3]
The logo underwent minor adjustments through the 1970s and 1980s. In 1974, the dolphin was moved to a more central placement with its head cutting across the sunburst in the top right, and the colors were lightened. A 1989 refresh deepened the aqua of the dolphin, darkened the orange closer to the original coral, and lengthened the tail. [3]
A more significant redesign arrived for the 1997 season. The dolphin received a cartoonish, simplified treatment with a more aggressive facial expression, while navy shadows were added to the aqua body and the sunburst was simplified with its hash marks removed. This version remained in place for fifteen years. [3]
In March 2013, the team confirmed a new logo that had leaked online. CEO Mike Dee said the design returned to “the true aqua and the true orange that were part of the first 29 years of the franchise’s history.” The new mark removed the dolphin’s helmet and repositioned the animal to the moment just before it breaks the surface of the water, which the team described as “the moment of most power in the marine mammal’s trajectory.” The logo was officially unveiled on April 25, 2013, at the start of the NFL draft. [4] [5] [6]
In 2018, the team made slight modifications to the logo and uniform set. The shades of orange and aqua were adjusted, with the orange darkened to a more traditional coral tone, and navy blue was removed from the uniforms, remaining only in the logo. The team described the update as “pure Aqua and Orange.” [7] [8]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo’s two enduring elements are the leaping dolphin and the circular sunburst. The sunburst has been a consistent visual anchor since 1966, and the coral color used in early versions was a tribute to the coral reefs of Biscayne Bay, the subtropical lagoon extending from North Miami Beach to the upper Florida Keys. [3]
The 2013 redesign shifted the dolphin’s pose from the apex of a leap to the moment of breaking the water’s surface, a change the team framed as capturing the animal at its most powerful point of motion. The redesign process spanned a year and a half and incorporated input from ownership, organization members, former players and fans. [5] [3]
Typography and Design
The 2013 logo was developed as part of a complete rebranding of the team, which CEO Mike Dee described as respecting the franchise’s tradition while keeping “an eye on the 21st century Dolphins.” The new uniforms accompanying the logo were designed by Nike. [4] [9]
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