On Jan. 25, 2021, the City of Florence revealed its new logo. The symbol, which is a capital F with a lowercase L and O serving as an exclamation point, was revealed in a Facebook post along with the new motto asking residents to “Live for More”. It is set to replace the old fleur-de-lis and “Renaissance City” tagline. The decision to remodel was made in August of 2021 and finalized in January. The logo was by Tatum Designs and cost $25,000.

According to the post made by the city, the logo “reflects the modern-day feel of our beautiful town and encourages residents, businesses, and visitors to truly see what Florence has to offer.” City Council members unanimously chose the logo and tagline.

Residents were quick to push back against the redesign. The previous design has significant meaning to the city, as the fleur-de-lis represents that Florence’s name comes from the famous Italian city and the “Renaissance City” tagline calls back to the annual Alabama Renaissance Faire that Florence hosts. It didn’t take long for a petition to be made requesting the logo choice be reversed. As of Jan. 31, it has over 8,000 signatures.

Another cause for backlash is the designer choice. The city opted to outsource a graphic designer from Birmingham as city leaders as they wanted a more objective point of view. As a college city that is full of creatives, students and residents alike have issued complaints regarding the decision. Many artists have even made their own rendition of the Florence logo as an attempt to display the skill of local businesses. With all of the negative attention the design has received, some City Council members have requested to revise it. One has even issued an apology.

“The new branding will serve multiple needs and audiences as our community grows and moves forward,” Mayor Andy Betterton said in a newsletter released to residents on Jan. 20. “As we navigate developing the new branding, one thing is for sure; the process has highlighted our community’s talents, humor, and love for Florence… Our city has an unexpected ‘wow factor’ that visitors experience when they see the unique combination of its diverse history, top-notch academics, stellar music, and celebrated art.”

Other council members, such as Councilman Blake Edwards, think that other options should be sought. Edwards told the Times Daily that “there have been some good ideas and good conversation about different logos. We should look at all of them”.

Mayor Betterton stresses that the original logo will still be used on letterheads and in other official capacities and the new logo will not appear on city vehicles.