LANDOVER, Md; February 2, 2022 – After a 19 month journey, The Washington Football Team revealed its new team name in a televised event on The Today Show. Washington’s football team will now go under the banner of Washington Commanders. Team President Jason Wright, Senior Advisor Doug Williams, and Team Captain Jonathan Allen helped make the announcement shortly after 8:00 am. See the team’s full Press Release below.
Today the team has 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 (DMV) 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.”
Beginning today at 9 a.m., fans can purchase select new merchandise at the Team Store at FedExField and anywhere official fan merchandise is sold online, including the online team store. New merchandise will include t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts for men, women and children, and hats. Also beginning today, fans will be able to preorder the primary burgundy Washington Commanders jersey anywhere official fan merchandise is sold online. The jersey will begin shipping in May.
To continue the celebration of the team’s new identity, starting today a variety of surprise events and experiences will be rolled out around the DMV to bring the new brand to fans in the local community. These live events and digital experiences will include branded cars that will canvas the DMV and surprise fans with visits from alumni handing out swag and new team gear. Trucks featuring jumbo-sized digital screens will also crisscross D.C., Maryland and Virginia while airing the team’s official brand launch film. Additionally, buildings and DMV landmarks will light up across the region with projections of the team name and logo and the burgundy and gold colors, including the DAR Constitution Hall, Union Market, and the Mosaic District.
On Friday, February 4th, the team has invited fans to FedExField to park and party with the Commanders. On this night it will host a Park and Party event presented by Bud Light, featuring tailgating and a showing of exclusive team content and an NFL Films feature on the Super Bowl XXVI Championship team, as well as games, giveaways, food trucks, a mobile Fanatics Team Store, DJ and a brand-themed fireworks show to end the evening. Additional details can be found on WashingtonFootball.com/park-and-party.
Today’s announcement and launch mark the beginning of the next phase of the team’s rebrand process. Over the next two years, the team will work closely with fans to pull forward traditions under a new banner and combine them with new traditions fans will help to create, including bringing back the fight song and designing the second alternate uniform.
For more information on events and activities to commemorate the reveal of the Washington Commanders please visit WashingtonFootball.com/2222. Fans can visit WashingtonJourney.com, powered by VistaPrint, for more details on the team’s full rebrand journey, as well as to see fan-submitted name and logo ideas and the team’s “Making the Brand” content series.
