Eau Claire County has just unveiled a new, colorful logo that evokes the county’s rivers, bridges, farms, and cities. The new logo – which will replace the old black-and-white county seal for many forms of county communication – is accompanied by a new tagline: “Where Communities Come Together.”

The logo was one of more than a dozen created last year by Leonard & Finco Public Relations of Green Bay at the request of the county’s Communication Team. Three finalists were selected and put before county employees for a vote last December. The overwhelming favorite was chosen as the new logo.

“We are very excited to bring this new look to the community after development by our Communications Team as well as input from our employees,” said Frank Draxler, administrative operations manager for the county. “We’ve relied on our county seal for decades, but there was a feeling that Eau Claire County needed to move to a more modern look for a logo.”

While the winning logo bears some resemblance in color and style to the new City of Eau Claire logo adopted in January, Draxler said the county was unaware of the city’s new logo until it was announced.

According to an Eau Claire County media release, “Creation of the new logo is part of a comprehensive review of the county’s communications efforts,” which started last year. “By reviewing our communications efforts and identifying ways to improve our communications both internally and externally, we hope to increase awareness of the county and the many important programs and services we offer,” Draxler said.

The new tagline, meanwhile, is meat to complement the logo: “We wanted something reflective of the fact that county government is where residents, organizations, and local communities come together for services and information,” Draxler said. “The services provided and coordinated by the county are for the greater good of our area. We think the tagline reflects that thought.”

County residents can expect to see the logo and tagline begin to appear on social media, letterhead, and promotional items, as well as on the new county website, which is slated for launch this summer.

And if you’re fond of the old county seal, don’t worry: It won’t disappear completely, Draxler said. That seal – which features a bald eagle and other symbols, the date 1856 (the year the county was founded), and the phrase “Voici l’eau claire” (French for “Here is the clear water”) – will continue to be seen on legal papers, mailings to taxpayers, and other documents.