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Cedar Rapids River Kings > About

A NEW ERA OF CR INDOOR FOOTBALL

In June of 2018, the Cedar Rapids Titans were purchased by a new ownership group led by LA-based businessman Roy Choi and his New York-based colleague Matt Stone. The upcoming year will be the team’s eighth season of operations as a part of the Indoor Football League.

In addition to their updated mission, the team decided to take on a re-brand of the organization to draw a clear and concise line that this is an entirely new group of owners and staff with the intention to be great stewards of the community, the best partners they can be for their sponsors, and to compete on the field and in the community in an effort to become the best local sports organization in Eastern Iowa.

THE RE-BRAND

The process began with fans having the opportunity to submit name ideas for the team. The organization then combed through over 400 unique submissions to vet them for trademark availability, relevance to the market, and branding (logo) development effectiveness. Following a round of additional votes being cast by fans on a group of potential finalists, the team re-opened a “Wild Card Round” and took on additional submissions that were reviewed by a panel consisting of the ownership group, front office staff, community members, and past partners. The selection of “River Kings” was made based on local historical ties and from there, the logo development began. The original name submission was provided by Jennifer Hadenfeldt.

THE RE-BRAND

The team’s new name of “River Kings” is attributed to local elements including a primary geographical feature in the Cedar River that runs through downtown Cedar Rapids and a historical reference to Kingston, a settlement established on the west side of the Cedar River by David W. King (pictured) that incorporated in 1852. King laid the groundwork for the city of Kingston between the river and present-day Third Avenue SW until his death in 1854 from exposure due to fighting a prairie fire on the west side of his new city. Kingston would later be annexed to Cedar Rapids in 1871 and would go on to be recognized as West Cedar Rapids over time. In recent years, the area now known as Kingston Village has seen revitalization and new development efforts to the commercial and residential properties in the neighborhood.

The Logo ``WHY?``

While the first documented entry of Czechs into North American can be dated back to the late 1500s, the upper Midwest United States saw the largest influx of Czech immigrants took place in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The first Czech and Slovak immigrants to settle in Cedar Rapids came around the 1850s as they came to work in the Sinclair meatpacking plant. Today, Cedar Rapids contains some of the most Czech ancestry in the world.

The Bridge of Lions (pictured) was built in 1989 and united the Czech Village neighborhood with the eastern bank of the Cedar River and the NewBo (New Bohemia) district. Both neighborhoods were significantly impacted by the severe flood in 2008 but over the past ten years have seen a revitalization of storefronts, restaurants, and community centers.

With the local significance and history of Czech culture in Cedar Rapids, the organization took the name “River Kings” and saw an opportunity to connect the “four banks” created by the downtown, Kingston, Czech Village, and NewBo districts.

THE CEDAR RAPIDS RIVER KINGS

Once the name was set and the research and development process concluded, the end result created by the team was a modern rendition of a heraldic lion adorned on a shield with water-related elements. The primary mark (pictured) features a new color scheme for the team as well with navy blue, light blue, and yellow. From the primary mark, additional logo elements were created for use across the team’s branding.

About the Designer

Brian Gundell is a graphic designer specializing in sports design with an emphasis on branding and identity development. His other passion is for type design and print work. Brian’s experience also includes designing for the web, on-screen graphics for television, retail space design, production art, and custom type design.

 

During his career, Brian has worked with both traditional agencies and specialty firms. He has also been fortunate enough to work with some of the most prominent athletic brands around the country including numerous NCAA teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Marlins, Minor League Baseball, the University of Washington football team, the San Diego Padres, the San Francisco Giants, as well as brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour.