The change comes in advance the 30th anniversary of the club’s 1995 open cup win
RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 29, 2025) – The Richmond Kickers are excited to unveil their new crest and brand identity, ahead of the 2025 season. The longest continuously running outdoor professional soccer club will take the pitch under the new crest that honors the city of Richmond, its community, and the club’s long-standing history.
Since the club’s founding in 1993, the Richmond Kickers have created a storied legacy of championships, community impact and an enduring influence on soccer culture across North America. The new brand identity marks the next chapter of this story.
To form the new brand identity, the Richmond Kickers called on Alex Kocher, Creative Director at Easy Friday Company. Kocher, who also led the Richmond Ivy’s brand conversation, worked hand in hand with Richmond Kickers Director of Branding and Marketing Alyn Carr to bring the refreshed brand to life.
“Finally, it’s here! I hope Richmond, our fans and any excited newcomers are able to see how much Richmond is in this crest as it has so clearly been a part of this team for so long — the two have only grown more and more intertwined in my time with the club. We hope to continue to build for years to come, and we want to support and rep the city as much as it has done so for us. Working with Alex has been wonderful as always and we are so excited to present the new crest to this community!”
In collaboration with club leadership and stakeholders, Kocher helped establish the goals of the refresh — to celebrate the club’s legacy, to reflect our love for the community and to help us step into a new era of success as we continue to elevate American Soccer.
“Refreshing the Kickers brand identity required a much different process than creating something from scratch — there is over 30 years of history to take into account,” Kocher said. “We wanted the new identity to reflect that storied heritage but also to communicate the vision for the Kickers’ future as well. During our creative process we prioritized the connection between club and community and visually we wanted to show that through the interlocked monogram. Our previous identities focused on the Kickers, but we know that the club wouldn’t exist without Richmond and that felt like an important distinction to make.”
The crest joins world football’s leading clubs in its more traditional design. Standing firm in our 32-year legacy, the individual pieces of the mark stand up for Richmond.
Our city name stands prominent at the top of our crest, as it is a priority within the club to continue to bring championships to this city. The interlocking RK monogram at the heart of the crest represents the strong bond between our club and our community.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a steward here, coaching for such a storied club,” Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky. “Our sport in the United States is evolving and our brand is evolving with it. With so many great people involved in this club over the years, our new mark represents the people that have built this club, the people that have maintained it, and it represents so many great people that are taking us into the new generation of soccer in our country. Our brand is clean, traditional, and we are excited to take this club into another 30+ years of thriving on the field and in our community.”
Marking our heritage and longevity, the 93 on the crest calls to our founding year reminding us of all the club has accomplished and withstood. And the flowing legs of the RK monogram represent the Falls of the James River that defined our city’s establishment.
“One of my favorite details in the monogram is the flowing legs of the R and K,” Kocher said. “Historically, the river and its falls were the reason Richmond was established at this location, and today, the James remains an integral part of life for so many Richmonders. Incorporating this element felt essential in weaving the river’s significance into our narrative.”
Considering color, it remained unwaveringly important to lead with Red but in adding the navy blue, the crest’s new color story evokes our club’s history — returning to the Red, White and Blue from the inaugural 1993 season and the iconic 1995 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-winning team.
The brand catalog extends to our beloved mascot, Kickeroo, with a refreshed look heading into 2025. Across 11 different marks, the family of logos includes the secondary crest, the isolated monogram and new wordmarks. The wordmarks feature the new designs as well as a new font which evolved from the previous iteration of the brand.
“Entering our 33rd season as one of the elder statesmen across the US Soccer landscape, it was time to refresh our brand identity,” Richmond Kickers Chairman and CEO Rob Ukrop said. “With our new identity, we look to emphasize our mission of strengthening community connections by curating a joyful, authentic soccer experience in Richmond, Virginia. Led by Alex Kocher and our creative team, we love the interlocking RK monogram at the heart of our crest and all that it represents for both club and community. The crisp, clean look reminds us of the simplicity of the beautiful game that is beloved here in Richmond.”
