CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Following a nearly three-month long contest, the Cleveland Browns have a new Dawg logo.
The new secondary logo was designed by Houston Mark and will be featured on merchandise, social media and other team uses.
“The thing I really wanted to focus on was the fans and the relationship they have with the team,” Mark said. “How can I make the Cleveland Browns fanbase the forefront of the design while also maintaining this aggressive, no-nonsense attitude?
“There was a lot of stuff in there I wanted to incorporate because there’s so much history to Browns fandom in particular. It was really important for me to honor and respect the history of the fanbase, the championships and the pride that comes with being a fan.”
Mark’s bullmastiff-inspired design features eight symbols that pay homage to the team’s and region’s history.
Ohio – The highlight in the top left corner of the mighty bullmastiff's right ear is in the shape of Ohio, where the Browns have called home for over 75 years.
Football – The nose of the dog is in the shape of a football, as just like the Dawg Pound, the mascot has a nose for the game.
East Endzone – The outline of Cleveland Municipal Stadium makes up the design of the tag, paying homage to the city by forming a “C,” and the origin of the Dawg Pound with a highlighted East Endzone.
Guitar Pick – At the center of the tag lies a guitar pick as a nod to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Spikes – The collar features 8 spikes, evoking intensity in their form and tradition in number, with the Browns finishing champions 8 times in their history.
Guardian Bridge – Cleveland's Hope Memorial Bridge makes up the space below the jowls, fortifying the bond between fans, team and city.
Pound Helmet – As another nod to the original 1980's Dawg Pound, the iconic maskless helmet shell worn by Browns faithful at games is hidden in the top right highlight.
Helmet Stripe – As a nod to the iconic feature, the logo features a center stripe that adorns the classic Browns helmet.
“We are so excited to unveil a new dawg logo that perfectly encapsulates who we are as a franchise and as a city,” Browns executive vice president and partner JW Johnson said. “Our fans have been asking us for a new dawg logo for quite some time, so it made perfect sense for them to select the logo themselves and decide how they want our team to be represented — and they made a great choice.”
The Browns launched the contest for fan submissions in mid April.
The new Dawg logo joins the Browns' iconic helmet logo and Brownie the Elf logos as official marks of the franchise.
“There were so many good logos that got submitted and made it far, so this a dream come true, and I can’t stress that enough,” Mark said. “To see my logo in an NFL stadium, on people’s shirts and people relate this logo to the Browns is the most incredible feeling.”
Mark’s design survived multiple rounds of voting, including the final round which took place last week.
“The fact that Browns fans felt represented by the logo was by far the most gratifying thing about this entire project,” Mark said. “To see that so many people felt connected and that they saw themselves in it was just incredible. It’s what you want to do as a logo designer.”
