In 1967, for the first Super Bowl, the NFL wanted to think big. To crown the champion in a way so strong, so forceful, and so important that it would properly dignify the winners for years on end. And so, a reliable, iconic, legendary company must design the trophy, the won that would be presented annually to the Super Bowl winners. Who but Tiffany & Co. fits the bill?
About Tiffany & Co.’s design
Featuring a regulation-sized football in a kicking position, the 22-inch Super Bowl trophy (which was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 1970, after the legendary Green Bay Packers coach) is crafted from sterling silver and weighs in at seven pounds. “It was initially designed by Oscar Riedener, a former Vice President at Tiffany & Co., who sketched the basic design on a napkin during a 1966 meeting with then-NFL® commissioner, Pete Rozelle,” according to a Tiffany & Co. press release.
In preparation for the yearly award, the trophy is handcrafted at the Tiffany hollowware workshop in Cumberland, Rhode Island, using artisan techniques like silversmithing, spinning, chasing, hand-engraving and polishing. The entire process takes about four months, and a total of a whopping 72 hours of labour. The brand also creates the AFC and NFC trophies, awarded to the leaders in both division every single year.
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In 1991, Tiffany’s role in the Super Bowl trophies expanded, creating the Pete Rozelle Trophy, which is given to the Super Bowl MVP every year. The result is the award clutched by winners every February, including last year’s recipients, the Los Angeles Rams. Tom Brady holds the record and has won the Super Bowl seven times.
This year, the two teams vying for Tiffany’s Vince Lombardi Trophy are the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The game takes place on February 12 at 6:30 p.m., and the halftime show concert will be performed by Rihanna.
