River Light FC
Goals Unleashed, Dreams Achieved
WHAT WE DID
River Light FC is a brand new professional soccer team connecting lovers of the game – new and old – with a new way to engage with their community. Fortress helped them create a brand that resonates through our Brandstorm process followed by a multi-round logo design exploration. The result? A powerful introduction to the world for an exciting and passionate group of players, coaches, and investors.
THE CHALLENGE
Create not just a compelling brand for River Light FC, but execute a strategic vision that ensures the long-term success of the club.
THE SOLUTION
Fortress delivered a brand strategy and logo that laid a sturdy foundation for the sustained success of the club.
THE BRANDSTORM
The branding process for River Light began with a Brandstorm: a five-step proprietary process we developed in-house to define our clients’ “Hero”, what their challenges and aspirations are, and how the organization can present a guiding light for them. In the case of River Light FC, we defined their brand tenets as ambitious, progressive, and united by a shared love of football, and their voice as welcoming, confident, and passionate. The Brandstorm’s end product was a fleshed-out brand book that featured power statements, social media brand guidelines, logo mock-ups, and much more.
THE LOGO
The final River Light FC logo was the result of several brainstorming sessions and multiple rounds of design concepts. The product is perfect for what River Light FC is striving to be, with the boldness of the type, the symbolism of the river representing the Fox River that flows through Aurora, and the light representing Aurora’s moniker “The City of Lights.” We are thrilled for the team at River Light to use this logo for years and years to come.
AURORA, THE CITY OF LIGHTS
Aurora, Illinois is not only the second largest city in Illinois, it was also the first city in the United States to use electric lights for publicly lighting the entire city. There is a lot of pride within Aurora and with pride comes passion. We look forward to seeing how River Light FC honors this legacy and advances the cause of community building through sport.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How Long Has Fortress Offered Brand Development in Chicago?
Fortress has been in business for over twelve years and brand development has been a staple service since day one. We are based in Chicago but work with clients from all over the map. In the case of River Light FC, their home base being Aurora, Illinois made it easy for the team to meet in-person for the Brandstorm as well as other strategy meetings and presentations.
How Does the Fortress Brandstorm Work?
Typically conducted in-person (though over Zoom is possible too) the Fortress Brandstorm involves key members of our marketing, design, and content strategy teams helping you and your team uncover the best path for long-term brand success. It is interactive, collaborative, and we learn something new every time, as will you.
How Do I Know When I Need to Rebrand?
Good question. If you’re considering rebranding, there’s a few things you need to consider, and one of the main indicators is your mission statement. Does your mission statement fire you up? Does it accurately describe and reflect the experience customers have when working with you? If you answered “no” to either of those questions, it might be time to redefine and rebuild. Learn more here.
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