CINCINNATI -- As FC Cincinnati prepares to join the MLS next season, the team's management decided it was time to update the teams look with a new logo and brighter colors.
The new logo features the winged lion fans have come to know on a crest bearing the club's name. The orange and blue color scheme is also sticking around, but each color is a little brighter.
The logo also has a few hidden meanings Cincinnati natives will recognize.
For starters, the lion's crown pays homage to Cincinnati's nickname, "the Queen City." The lion's mane has seven point, one for each of the seven major hills around Cincinnati, and its wings have three feathers, representing the three years it took the club to reach the MLS.
Even the lion's tail nods to the name 'Cincinnati' as it curls into a 'C.'
"FCC has forged a strong connection with our city over the past three years," Carl Linder, FC Cincinnati managing owner and CEO, wrote. "As we move into the future as an MLS club, our new look maintains that strong connection and reflects our passion and ambition for world-class soccer in Cincinnati.”
The club also has a few new taglines.
In addition to 'The Orange and Blue,' a phrase used by the club which has been officially adopted as a team reference, the new taglines include 'Ignite and Unite' and 'Now and Forever.'
“Developing our MLS identity has been an intensive, yet gratifying process, that has been so well-worth the end result we’re presenting today," Jeff Berding, FC Cincinnati president and general manager, wrote. "We firmly believe these new marks and brand system are a perfect representation of our club as we enter Major League Soccer."
