Blue Vine Design

Re-branded: Sumter

Patriotism is a feeling that permeates any given city across America, especially one that is home to a military base. But only in rare cases will you find a community that shows unbridled admiration toward nearly every facet of its history and people that deems it worthy of being called uncommonly patriotic.

That's a feeling city officials are trying to promote through the city's new slogan - "Uncommon Patriotism" - which along with a new logo is being unveiled to the public today exclusively through The Item.

The effort to rebrand the city kicked off in September when Arnett & Muldrow, a Greenville-based urban planning firm, was hired by the city to host meetings with city officials, business owners, community leaders and average Sumterites in an effort to craft a new identity for the city.

"Arnett & Muldrow spoke with more than 100 Sumter residents to find out what, in essence, is the heart of our community," said Sumter City Manager Deron McCormick in a statement. "We think what they came up with really captures our community's spirit."

The final design is a stylized "Sumter" with a color matching that of the Sumter Opera House. Next to that is a swooping brick-colored design that looks like a wing, which was designed to be a cross between the "Recovery" statue at Swan Lake and the emblem of the U.S. Air Force.