LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Football Team today revealed its new name and brand identity, the Washington Commanders. This new identity embodies the most powerful aspects of Washington’s story by paying tribute to the team’s rich history and championship culture, personified by mission-driven players who take command, forge success and break barriers on and off the field. The result of an 18-month collaborative process with fans, alumni, players, community leaders and stakeholders across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, Commanders brings to life the commitment to service and leadership that defines the DMV community. Importantly, the team’s new identity also represents the values that bond the Burgundy & Gold family, including resilience, grit, tradition and unity, and honors the progress and potential of its present and future.
“As an organization, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation’s capital,” said co-owner and co-CEO Dan Snyder. “As we kick-off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us. We continue to honor and represent the Burgundy & Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington. Today may mark the first day for the Washington Commanders, but we are and always will be Washington.”
The team has also revealed new brand elements, including its primary logo, its word mark and a team crest. The primary logo of the Washington Commanders is a powerful “W.” This symbol carries forward an element of the Washington Football Team chapter in the franchise’s history and acknowledges the team’s deep Washington roots, while the W’s angled cuts, bolded lines and serifs signify forward movement and progress. The slanted elements of the stripes bordering the “W” are inspired by military rank insignia, helping to infuse the familiar mark with elements of the team’s new identity. In the word mark, “WASHINGTON” introduces the tall and proud letters of the team’s name. The cuts of the “C” lead the eye across the mark and the two stripes that frame the name pay homage to the D.C. flag and give the mark a sense of power and authority.
A unique brand element within the NFL, Washington’s crest features core elements of the team’s identity and the franchise’s defining moments. The top left and bottom right quadrants note the year the club was founded in 1932, 90 years ago. The top right quadrant showcases the main logo mark, the “W,” symbolizing the team’s future, and the bottom left quadrant features three stars, representative of the stars on the D.C. flag and the team’s position within the Nation’s Capital. Washington Football highlighted across the top of the crest pays homage to the many historic firsts and iconic legends associated with this Washington team throughout its nearly 90-year tenure in the DMV, and the years 1937, 1942, 1983, 1988 and 1992 written across the bottom commemorate the franchise’s World Championships and Super Bowls. The crest is completed by a gold ring, which represents unity and encapsulates all elements of the brand identity.
To honor the deep legacy of this 90-year-old franchise, the traditional burgundy and gold color scheme will remain at the center of the team’s new identity. The home uniform will also retain the burgundy and gold colors, a specific reference to uniforms of the past.
“Through more than 40,000 fan submissions and countless surveys, focus groups and meetings, this 18-month rebrand process has been a collaborative effort with our fans, alumni, players and local DMV community, all leading to today as we embark on a new chapter in our legacy as the Washington Commanders,” said co-owner and co-CEO Tanya Snyder. “Going into our 90th year, we are excited to celebrate the rich history of the Burgundy & Gold while also paving the way for new traditions as the Washington Commanders.”
