The New York Jets unveiled a new primary logo and uniform set, the “Legacy Collection,” on April 15, 2024. The mark is a modernized revival of the team’s “Sack Exchange” era logo, which was originally used from 1978 to 1997 and features a jet airplane silhouette integrated with the “JETS” wordmark.[1]
Design and History
The 2024 primary logo brings back the jet imagery that fans had long requested, replacing the 2019-2023 identity that used an American football shape instead of an airplane.[2] The team described the new mark as a “refresher” of its iconic Sack Exchange logo, featuring a custom typeface with bolder composition, a refined pointed nose on the plane “for a faster look and feel,” and tighter spacing between characters with consistent angles.[1]
The original 1978 design was created by Jim Pons, who was working as the team’s film and video director at the time.[3] Pons, a former bass guitarist for Frank Zappa’s band The Mothers of Invention, submitted the logo when the Jets were looking for a redesign in 1978.[2] The team used that design as its primary logo until 1997.[3]
In July 2024, Pons filed a lawsuit against the Jets and the NFL seeking unspecified damages, the cancellation of the Jets’ trademark on the logo, and a ruling that the team cannot use the logo without his consent and compensation.[3]
The 2024 rebrand was framed as a direct response to fan feedback. Jets Chairman Woody Johnson said, “They have consistently asked for us to return to our roots and we heard them.”[1] The uniforms themselves, with double-stripe shoulders and single-stripe pants, replicate the design the team wore from 1979 to 1989 during the Sack Exchange era.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The jet imagery in the logo connects directly to the team’s naming history. The franchise was originally called the Titans of New York and was renamed the Jets in 1963 to reflect the team’s stadium location near LaGuardia Airport.[2]
The 2024 mark retains the Gotham Green color introduced with the 2019 rebrand rather than the Kelly green used in the 1980s. The team has said the darker shade works better with today’s metallic helmets.[2] The team also developed a full suite of secondary logos that incorporate key characteristics of the primary mark, including its font, color, and in some instances the distinctive shape of the jet.[1]
Typography and Design
The 2019 logo update, which preceded the current jet revival, used a custom typeset designed by Hoefler & Co. in 2002.[4] The 2024 redesign adjusts the letter spacing of the wordmark for consistency and makes the jet’s tail taller and thicker while streamlining the nose.[2]
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