My Role in Shaping the Brand Foundation of FC Cincinnati

Fighting for the Top: The Early Brand Decisions Behind FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati is currently fighting for the top of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer. And regardless of standings, their rise in under a decade is remarkable.

Before there were fans, kits, or even players, I was involved in shaping the club’s original brand identity. The task: build a football club from scratch. With a name, visual language, and tone that would feel serious, ambitious, and rooted in the global game.

Choosing a Name That Signals Football, Not Franchising

Most American sports teams follow a familiar naming pattern. Think Galaxy, Sounders, Yankees, or Dodgers. I made a case for something different:
FC Cincinnati.

Short, purposeful, and rooted in European football tradition.
It positioned the club not as a commercial entertainment brand, but as a football club. Serious, ambitious, and globally resonant.

“FC Cincinnati was never meant to sound like a franchise. It was meant to sound like football.”

Clubs like Inter Miami CF later made similar naming choices, showing that this kind of positioning can resonate strongly. Especially with internationally minded fans.

Visual Identity: A Lion, a Crown, and Colors That Still Resonate

I also contributed to the early visual identity of the club, including:

• A heraldic lion as the central emblem: upright, bold, a reference to the Queen City, but also a symbol American soccer enthousiasts are familiar with.
• A crown composed of pentagonal shapes, referencing the geometry of a traditional football.
• The blue and orange color palette, still central to the club’s look today.

These elements laid the groundwork for what became the team’s first official logo.

While I wasn’t involved in the final execution of the original USL-era logo — and didn’t fully agree with all design decisions made in that phase — it was rewarding to see the core elements carried forward. Even after the rebranding that took place when the club joined Major League Soccer, many of the early ideas – the name, the lion, the color palette — still echo in the club’s current visual identity.

“Design isn’t just what a brand looks like. It’s how it’s positioned to grow. With clarity, relevance, and depth.”

Why This Work Still Matters Today

When a club grows as fast as FC Cincinnati has, it’s easy to forget how much is decided early on.
The name, the tone, the symbols, these are not just stylistic choices. They’re strategic decisions that shape the identity and trajectory of a brand.

“Strong brands don’t start with decoration. They start with direction.”

Helping Founders Define Brands That Scale with Integrity

Naturally, the success of FC Cincinnati is the result of many people’s work. From the vision and commitment of its founders and investors, to the leadership of the club’s management, and players. And perhaps most importantly: the passion of its growing fanbase. Still, it’s fun to see how early brand choices to which I did contribute, no matter how "small", continue to echo in what the club represents today.

While this project happened to be in professional sports, the challenges were the same ones I see across many early-stage ventures:
How do you make bold decisions early — about your name, your voice, your look — and build a brand that holds up as you grow?

Today, I work with founders in sectors like AI, sustainable aviation, healthcare, and education, always with the same goal: turning early ideas into clear, strategic, and visual brands. Learn more about how I work

Recent projects include:

• a community-based marketplace for growers and buyers (Cropsie)
• a deeptech start-up in electric aircraft engines (Kite Magnetics)
• a rebrand for a social science publication (Sociale Vraagstukken)
• and brand development for an agetech start-up focused on improving life for older adults (Gerisana)

Whether you’re launching a product, a non-profit initiative, or a high-tech company:
If you want a brand that’s strategically sound and visually compelling from day one... I’d love to help.

Curious how early design decisions can shape the future of your brand? Let’s talk.