Baltimore Ravens: Brand overview
| Founded: | February 9, 1996 |
| Founder: | Steve Bisciotti |
| Headquarters: | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Website: | baltimoreravens.com |
Baltimore Ravens is a professional American football team that has been playing in National Football League since 1996. It was established by Arthur Bertram (Art) Modell, the owner of Cleveland Browns for 35 years. Then he encountered financial difficulties: Cleveland authorities refused to pay for the stadium reconstruction.
Art Modell announced on November 6, 1995, his intention to relocate the team to Baltimore, where they promised him a yearly operating subsidy of $25 million. Despite the controversy, the matter was settled: Cleveland Browns remained at home along with the uniform and awards. But Art Modell retained the current contracts with the players and got a new franchise. That’s how Baltimore got a football team in NFL – for the first time in 13 years since Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis.
Arthur Bertram forfeited his right for Browns, and he couldn’t buy the nickname Colts. Nickname Ravens was chosen by the competition and announced on March 29, 1996. The initial list consisted of more than 100 nicknames. Organizers cut it to 17 and the representatives of a focus group – to 6. People who participated in a phone survey preferred three options: Ravens, Americans, and Marauders. After the announcement of a shortlist, Baltimore Sun newspaper ran a fan contest: more than 21000 of 33000 people voted for Ravens. This nickname refers to the similarly named poem by Edgar Allan Poe, who’s buried in Baltimore.
Due to continual financial hardships for the organization, the NFL directed Art Modell to initiate the sale of his franchise. On March 27, 2000, NFL owners approved 49% of the Ravens to Steve Bisciotti, who already had a small share. On April 9, 2004, the NFL approved a businessman’s purchase of the majority stake in the club. The previous club owner kept 1% of the shares and continued working at headquarters as a consultant.
Meaning and History
What is Baltimore Ravens?
The Baltimore Ravens are the team that joined the National Football League in 1996. They have played in the Northern Division since 2002 and previously played in AFC Central. Its headquarters are located in the suburb of Baltimore – Owings Mills.
Baltimore Ravens has had two logos since 1996. They had to change the first one under court decision because of copyright infringement. The plaintiff was Frederick Bouchat, an amateur artist in Maryland. Frederick Bouchat was sure: he had already seen this design with a winged shield and the letter “R” somewhere, and not even “somewhere,” but among his works. He submitted his design of the winged shield to the Maryland Stadium Authority by fax before the football club’s opening. He asked for a helmet with an autograph in exchange for the design. On June 5, 1996, the club presented a similar logo; however, the designer’s request wasn’t executed. Legal proceedings lasted for over ten years. The court held that Baltimore Ravens must pay the rights holder $100 per each use of this image during their future games in NFL. As a result, she changed her brand name, keeping the link to the crow theme.
1996 – 1998
The first Baltimore Ravens logo is an infamous Flying B. According to the management of Baltimore Ravens, it was made independently of Frederick Bouchat. The central element is a shield that honors Baltimore’s heraldry. It’s triangular and pointed, which is typical for Old French heraldic traditions of the XIII-XIV centuries. It’s painted in official team colors: purple, black, and gold metallic.
There is a capital letter “B” (stands for “Baltimore”) with three squiggles of different lengths in the middle of the shield. It’s framed by the word “Ravens” overhead and a cross bottony underneath. This cross bottony comes from runic markings and relates to early western European heraldic art. This emblem features raven wings outspread from a shield.
1999 – today
The current symbol of the football club was introduced in 1999 and has never changed since then. This proves its full compliance with the concept of Baltimore Ravens: there is a raven on the logo and a reference to the name of the city. For more than 20 years, he managed to become a cult and is now firmly associated with the team, which does not allow abandoning him and developing a radically new design. So for two decades, the footballers’ uniforms have been decorated with the image of a bird’s head with the letter “B” on the side.
Fans of Baltimore Ravens chose it: Baltimore Sun newspaper ran a poll showing three designs for a new logo. The football team halted from the heraldic format and preferred the Denver Broncos style. The new Baltimore Ravens emblem features the profile of a raven’s head. Identity colors are the same, but black color is used only for the borders. The letter “B” with one squiggle, is superimposed on the left side of the raven’s head. The club owner Art Modell insisted on its presence himself.
Font and Colour of the Emblem
The Raven is the eternal theme of the Baltimore Ravens and is reflected in both of its emblems. But if earlier the emphasis was on the wings, now the center is occupied by a blue head with a large white beak. Moreover, the artists deliberately highlighted the eye in red to emphasize the hidden aggression. The letter “B” deserves special attention – the first in the word “Baltimore.” It’s on the left side of the logo.
“B” was drawn by hand, and the artists did not use standard fonts to create it. They were guided only by their ideas and wishes of the leaders of the football club. The letter is unusually stylized: it has no serifs but an elongated horizontal line at the top. In this case, the white outline around “B” complements the basic golden color. The logo palette also includes navy blue, red, and black. The designers managed to combine shades so that the overall composition looks holistic and harmonious.
Baltimore Ravens color codes
| Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
| CMYK: | 70 50 50 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
| Purple | Hex color: | #241773 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 26 25 95 | |
| CMYK: | 100 100 0 5 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 273 C |
| Metallic Gold | Hex color: | #9e7c0c |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 187 147 52 | |
| CMYK: | 0 20 80 20 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 8660 C Metallic |
What is the Baltimore Ravens logo mean?
The raven’s head illustrates the team’s name and mascot, and the letter “B” represents the city of Baltimore. The bird looks menacing to demonstrate a competitive spirit and a willingness to win. The palette matches the official Baltimore Ravens color scheme.
Why did the Ravens change their logo?
The team had to abandon their first logo by court order because they were accused of copyright infringement. One artist filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore Ravens for allegedly stealing his idea when he sent them a sketch for an emblem, asking them to exchange it for an autographed helmet. Representatives of the club not only did not give the artist a helmet but also appropriated his work.
Did the Titans stomp on the Ravens logo?
Yes, the Tennessee Titans stepped on the Baltimore Ravens logo on the football field to show their superiority and disrespect. Ravens did not remain in debt: they beat their rivals and danced a dance of winners on their logo. Because of this, Marcus Peters of Baltimore was fined $ 15,000.
How did Baltimore Ravens get their logo?
When a court ruled that the Baltimore Ravens must pay Frederick Brouchat $ 100 for each use of the winged shield logo, it was decided to change the design. This is how a new emblem appeared, which still exists today. It features a raven’s head with a red eye, blue feathers, a white beak, and a wide golden outline.
Baltimore Ravens Logo, Blue Eagle
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