The Premier League’s visual identity is built around a crowned lion’s head, a mark that has been part of the competition since its founding in 1992. The current version, introduced for the 2023/24 season, pairs the lion with a simplified wordmark and a palette of gradient colours, a refresh designed by London-based agency Nomad Studio. The lion itself was most recently redrawn by DesignStudio and Robin Brand Consultants for the 2016/17 season, when the league dropped its title sponsor and moved to a cleaner, more flexible identity.
Meaning and Symbolism
The crowned lion: The lion has been a constant element of the Premier League’s identity since the league’s inception in 1992. Its use connects the competition to English heraldic tradition: the England national team has worn the famous Three Lions crest since 1872, and the Premier League adopted the lion figure from its earliest days. The design of the league’s trophy is also inspired by the Three Lions heraldry, with two lions on the upper sides and the third symbolised by the captain lifting the cup. [1]
The crown: The crown atop the lion’s head has been a recurring feature across all versions of the logo, reinforcing the league’s position as the top tier of English football. In the 2007 redesign, the crown’s colour changed from red to blue as part of a broader refresh. [2]
Design and History
Founding and early identity (1992): The Premier League was established on 27 May 1992, after the 22 First Division clubs resigned from the Football League en masse on 20 February 1992. The league was created with commercial independence from the Football League and The FA, allowing it to organise its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The inaugural campaign began on 15 August 1992 with 22 clubs. [3] The original logo featured a crowned lion standing with a football, a design that remained in use with refinements through the 1990s and early 2000s.
2007 refresh: The logo was substantially revised in 2007. The lion was redrawn and turned to face forward, and its crown changed colour from red to blue. The new mark was introduced as the league moved away from its previous visual style, with the lion appearing more regal and the blue deepened. [2] [4]
2016 redesign by DesignStudio: For the 2016/17 season, the Premier League launched a new visual identity created by DesignStudio alongside Robin Brand Consultants. The redesign reduced the lion to just its crowned head, removing the full body and football, and introduced a palette of five colours: purple, sky blue, magenta, yellow and lime green. The title sponsor (Barclays, which had sponsored the league since 2004) was dropped, and the all-capitals typeface was replaced. The crowned lion was retained following fan surveys. The league’s managing director Richard Masters said the new identity was “relevant, modern and flexible” and would help celebrate everyone who makes the Premier League. [5] [6]
2023 refresh by Nomad: For the 2023/24 season, the Premier League worked with London-based agency Nomad Studio on a brand update. Nomad combined the two previous lion designs into one, adding an outline that almost surrounds the lion, and made the mark more prominent by allowing it to be used alone without a wordmark, positioning it alongside brands like Nike and Apple. The league’s previous six solid colours were merged into three gradient tones. Nomad described the approach as “radical simplification” applied to every element of the brand. [7] [8]
Typography and Design
In the 2016 redesign, DesignStudio replaced the previous all-capitals typeface with a rounded sans-serif wordmark, part of a broader move toward a simpler, more flexible identity. [6] The 2023 refresh by Nomad decoupled the wordmark from the lion icon, allowing the league’s name to be slotted into assets more easily and letting the lion stand alone as the primary brand asset. [7]
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Premier League logo a lion? The lion has been part of the Premier League’s identity since its founding in 1992, connecting the competition to English heraldic tradition. The England national team has used the Three Lions crest since 1872, and the Premier League adopted the lion figure from its earliest days. The league’s trophy design is also inspired by the Three Lions heraldry. [1]
When was the Premier League logo redesigned? The logo has undergone three major overhauls since the league’s founding in 1992: a significant revision in 2007 that turned the lion to face forward, a 2016 redesign by DesignStudio that reduced the lion to its crowned head and dropped the title sponsor, and a 2023 refresh by Nomad that added an outline and allowed the lion to be used alone. [2] [5] [7]
Who designed the current Premier League logo? The current logo, introduced for the 2023/24 season, was designed by London-based agency Nomad Studio. It builds on the lion’s head design created by DesignStudio and Robin Brand Consultants for the 2016/17 season. [7] [8]
When was the Premier League founded? The Premier League was established as a limited company on 27 May 1992, after the 22 First Division clubs resigned from the Football League on 20 February 1992. The inaugural season began on 15 August 1992 with 22 clubs. [3]
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