How one Texas city is building a new brand

What they're saying: "We want our community members to be able to identify members of our team as city of Austin employees and trust the services we provide," Austin city manager T.C. Broadnax said in a statement.

• "Whether they see the brand on a website, a utility bill, a street sign or the side of a vehicle, they'll know exactly who it's from and what it stands for."

State of play: The city's official seal, created in 1916 for a flag design contest, "is not a brand, and does not promote the city's distinctive values and mission," city officials said in a statement about the new logo.

By the numbers: The City contracted with TKO, an Austin-based agency specializing in brand storytelling, and the design firm Pentagram, to develop the brand.

• The brand rollout cost $1.1 million, including roughly $564,000 to TKO and Pentagram and $115,000 for a public awareness campaign, per KXAN.

Between the lines: The logo is meant to evoke the hills, rivers and bridges that "serve to connect us to one another," Jessica King, city of Austin chief communications director, said in a statement.

• "The colors were inspired by our surrounding environment — violet crown skies and the green canopies of our parks and trails. We deliberately chose a mark that reminded us of movement to reflect how welcoming, flexible and resilient this community and our employees are."

The other side: "Austinites were not asking for a $1.1M rebrand," former Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly posted on X. "We were asking for safer streets, better infrastructure, and lower taxes."

What's next: The brand will officially launch on Oct. 1, appearing on the city's website and newsletters.

• Other items, like uniforms and city vehicles, will get branded with the logo when they need to be replaced.