Page 12 - FIS World November 2016

A New Look for FIS Athletics
Rejuvenating the FIS Warriors logo
The FIS Athletic Department is on a winning streak. Last year’s completion of the Stroth Center put FIS on the map as a school with a state-of-the-art sports (and learning) facility. The summer’s installation of a plush new sports pitch on the lower eld – and one to follow in November on the upper eld – are bringing outdoor competition spaces up to the highest standards. And now, the Athletic Department is excited to announce a brand new logo to represent the FIS Warriors.
“We were looking for something original, new and fresh,” said FIS Athletic Director Will Moncrief. “In this design, we’ve found it.”
The new logo was selected by vote in September through a process that included FIS students, parents, faculty, sta and alumni. “Our goal was to give the community a voice,” said Mr. Moncrief. “I’m thrilled with the feedback we received – especially from our Alumni who made up nearly one third of the total votes.”
Three potential logo designs were shared with community members via an online survey and within days, more than 1,600 people had responded. Almost immediately a clear winner emerged – a celtic-inspired design combining the letters “F” and “W.” (pictured in various formats on these pages).
While the design itself was an easy win, the concept and work leading up to its creation was not. The logo design was something that Mr. Moncrief had been thinking about for years, but it was the school’s new Stroth Center that really motivated him to get the ball rolling.
With help from FIS sta member Beate Zimpel, the two started conceptualizing ideas at the start of the 2015/2016 school year. They knew it was important to take into account the school’s long-standing history as The Warriors,
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which dates back to 1967 when the Athletic Program began at FIS, and re ects the idea of determination, grit, courage and teamwork to achieve success.
But they also wanted to capture an image that was regional – something Celtic or Roman, representative of the Taunus or Frankfurt, or that was distinctly German. After dozens of designs – including those submitted from an online crowd sourcing contest – nothing seemed to be standing out.
Then a conversation in a mountaintop cabin in Austria changed everything.
“We were happy to support the Warriors with our expertise creating a competitive logo and style guide.”
David Malmholt
Christian Koeniger, FIS Class of 1989, and current parent, was on a ski-break holiday with several other FIS families when their lunchtime conversation touched on the Athletic Department’s quest to design a new logo. Mr. Koeniger’s thoughts immediately turned to Orange Hive, a Frankfurt- based design studio that he’d previously worked with and had a personal connection to; the company’s CEO, Steven Sasseville ‘88, and Strategic Key Account Manager, David Malmholt ‘89, were both Koeniger’s classmates at FIS, where all three played on various sports teams. Mr. Koeniger sent Mr. Sasseville a short text message about the potential project and within 30 minutes Mr. Sasseville responded: Orange Hive was interested.
The project was an exciting one for Orange Hive – particularly given their connection to FIS – and the rm