A new era of soccer in Reading has begun, as Reading United refreshed its brand and logos ahead of its 25th anniversary season. The team’s logos and colors may have changed, but the team name and focus will remain the same moving forward.
“As we enter our 25th season of play, we appreciate that we are able to honor our past while continuing to sharpen and remain strong with what we are doing today,” said Reading United vice president Art Auchenbach. “Our refreshed logo captures our history and identity. We are grateful to Wandel Design for their gracious and detailed work to elevate our team’s image as we begin 2020.”
Reading landed on using the creative expertise of Lancaster-based company Wandel Design, headed by former Reading United intern Eryin Wandel.
The five colors of the original logo, created in 2010 ahead of the team’s affiliation with Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, were narrowed to four – black, navy, gold, and white.
The colors were darkened to establish a more mature color palette for the team. The previous logo has been simplified to a bolder, sharper train image, moving forward without the keystone shield that was prevalent before.
Three additional logos were created – a secondary mark featuring the train on top of a navy and gold keystone shield, a tertiary logo showcasing the front of the train, and a “throwback” wordmark logo that draws inspiration from the Reading Railroad diamond.
“We wanted to keep the essence of our previous branding, while creating a new and exciting vision moving forward,” said Ryan Lineaweaver, Reading United’s Director of Communications and Marketing.
“I think what we’ve done will showcase our past, while pushing us forward. Our goal is to make Reading United into a brand that’s instantly recognizable in Reading, Berks County, and beyond.”
