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Air Force Reserve adopts new recruiting logo

  • Published
  • By AFRC News Service
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Air Force Reserve Command has a new advertising logo that more closely aligns it with the active force while touting the command as a high-tech, professional fighting force.

Sleek and simple, the AFRC logo features the Air Force’s new logo alongside the words “Air Force Reserve” in a stylish, modern typeface.

AFRC recruiting officials began working with Blaine Warren Advertising in January to develop the new logo. It replaces the “Above and Beyond” logo featured in Reserve recruiting and advertising products since 1998.

Lt. Col. Jerry Herbel, chief of Headquarters AFRC Recruiting Service’s advertising and information systems division here, said the time was right for a new advertising logo.

“We wanted a logo that captured the spirit of Air Force Reserve Command but also conveyed the message that we are a part of the overall Air Force,” he said. “We went through a number of different designs and got input from focus groups of recruitable people. This was the design that best conveyed the message we were trying to get out.”

AFRC senior leaders approved the new logo in May. They were involved in the development process from the beginning and are excited to see the new logo in the Reserve’s upcoming advertising and recruiting products.

“This new logo will give a streamlined and modern look to our advertising products, and it emphasizes the word ‘Reserve,’” said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of Air Force Reserve and AFRC commander. “Since the Air Force adopted its new symbol last spring, we wanted to incorporate that symbol into our advertising logo. This will help us brand the Air Force Reserve as a proud part of the world’s greatest Air Force.”

Col. Francis Mungavin, AFRC Recruiting Service commander, said the new logo is appropriate for the command during its transformation into the 21st century.

“The young folks entering AFRC really like the new logo,” he said. “Their feedback to us (from focus groups) has been that it’s modern, high-tech and cool looking.”

Maj. Gen. Mark Rosenker, mobilization assistant to General Bradley in his role as commander, helped develop the new logo as the leader of a cross-functional AFRC team that looks at command branding and marketing.

“I think everyone in AFRC will be pleased and very proud of the new logo,” he said. “It’s simple, elegant and powerful, and it clearly brings us into the 21st century. The logo’s progressive typeface, combined with the new effective Air Force logo, sends a strong message to the audiences we are trying to reach.”

Sterling Martell, creative director for Blaine Warren Advertising, said the logo will be much easier to integrate into television and print advertising products.

“By incorporating the Air Force logo, it allows us to piggyback off of what the Air Force does in terms of advertising,” Mr. Martell said. “I think it’s a good design, and we were able to get consensus from the Reserve’s senior leaders that this is a good design.

“When people see the new logo they are going to get the idea that the Air Force Reserve is new and improved without us coming right out and saying ‘new and improved.’”

A major difference between the new logo and the ones the command has used in the past is the new logo doesn’t feature a slogan. AFRC has used “Above and Beyond” as a slogan since 1998. Before that, the command used “A Great Way to Serve” for 20 years.

Colonel Herbel said not having a slogan tied to the logo gives the command more freedom in how it uses the logo.

“We might use a slogan along with the logo in some of our products,” he said. “It will depend on the particular audience we are trying to reach. Without a slogan, we feel we are drawing attention to the word ‘Reserve,’ and that is one of the main objectives we were trying to achieve.”

The command will feature the new logo in all of its new advertising products but will continue using promotional items with the old logo until they are all gone, Colonel Herbel said.