Stade de Reims unveiled its current visual identity on 18 June 2020, the club’s 89th anniversary, replacing a crest that had been in use since 1999. The new emblem was designed by the branding agency Leroy Tremblot, a subsidiary of the Lafourmi group, and was presented alongside a new home shirt for the 2020-21 season [1][2].
Design and History
The 2020 identity replaced a round, red-and-white crest that had been introduced in 1999. Club president Jean-Pierre Caillot said the goal was to modernize a logotype whose visual markers had aged, while drawing on the club’s historical and cultural codes [3][2].
The club had hoped to revive the champagne-bottle imagery of the emblem associated with the great Stade de Reims teams of the 1950s and 1960s. However, legal research ruled out that direction, and the design team instead started from a blank page while retaining recognizable elements from the club’s history [1][4].
The new emblem abandons the round form for a shield shape, described as an open blason whose curves are modeled on the main portal of Reims Cathedral. The design also references the shape of the club’s first crest from 1931 [1][5]. The red-and-white palette was retained, with the red tone slightly brightened [5].
The identity project extended beyond the logo itself. Leroy Tremblot developed a full brand territory, including graphic standards, brand architecture and applications around the club’s facilities, with the work spanning roughly 18 months [6]. The club also adopted a new signature, “Maison de football,” replacing the previous “Institution du football” [1][4].
Meaning and Symbolism
The central “SR” monogram represents the club’s name. In the 2020 design, the two letters are united into a single, interlocked monogram, a treatment that Leroy Tremblot said gives the initials a stronger and more distinctive role within the crest [1][5].
The crown surmounting the crest references Reims’ identity as the “Cité des Sacres,” the city where French kings were crowned. It also nods to the pioneering generations of the club, including Raymond Kopa and the championship-winning teams of the 1950s and 1960s [2][1].
The shield’s curves are based on the main portal of Reims Cathedral, anchoring the emblem in the city’s architectural heritage [5]. A small pentagon sits at the center of the composition. According to Dominique Jubert, director general of Leroy Tremblot, this element was retained from the football symbolism of the previous identity and functions as the central “jewel” of the crown [2][1].
Typography and Design
The 2020 identity introduced a custom typographic treatment for the club name beneath the crest. The wordmark reads “STADE REIMS,” with the preposition “de” visually integrated through a play on letter weights rather than spelled out in full. Leroy Tremblot described the lettering as modern and powerful, designed to support the crest without competing with the central monogram [5][6].
The typography was fully drawn for the project, with each letter receiving specific attention. The overall composition was built around a simpler, more open structure than the previous crest [5].
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