The History of the Logo
Holding true to their namesake, the Steelers logo is based on the insignia of the American Iron and Steel Institute. Created by U.S. Steel Corp., the logo is more than just a helmet decoration — it was also used as a marketing campaign to educate Americans about how important steel is in their daily lives. Carrying the message, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure and widens your world," the logo was used in print, radio and television ads. Additionally, the three diamonds on the logo each represent a material used to produce steel: yellow for coal, orange for ore (today a more reddish hue), and blue for steel scrap.
The Steelers are the only NFL team to display their logo on only one side of the helmet. In 1962, the team was not sure how their new logo would look on the then-solid gold helmets. They decided to test out the logo on just one side of the helmet. The attention that decision attained, as well as the record-setting 9-5 season, made the logo's placement permanent, even after the team switched to solid black helmets.