The Dutch Swimming Federation (KNZB), home of such notable stars as double Olympic gold medalist Ranomi Kromowidjojo and teammates Femke Heemskerk and Sharon van Rouwendaal, is reinventing itself as a supporter of all levels of swimming within the Netherlands, complete with a new logo and new motto for 2016.
As an organization with approximately 430 sub-associations totaling in the range of 135,000 members, the KNZB is the 7th-largest federation within the Netherlands. Although typically affiliated with elite swimming, national water polo and competitive synchronized swimming, the KNZB is now striving to identify with all water lovers across the ability spectrum, from children, to learn-to-swim adults, to those members of the swimming community already in its grip.
Acknowledging that the country itself is dominated by water, an entity the federation calls both a ‘friend and foe’, the KNZB encourages all of the Netherlands to learn how to swim, whether or not it becomes a competitive passion. KNZB’s rebranding comes with the renewed outlook of creating a ‘lifelong bond’ with all members of the swimming community, seeing the sport as a lifestyle activity from which everyone can benefit and have fun.
Tapping into the emotional side of swimming, the KNZB has introduced a new motto – “Passion for the Water”, which it says embraces passion for swimming, for water polo, for diving, for synchronized swimming not only for the associations and their members, but for each Dutchman or woman who can or wants to learn to swim.
The accompanying video embodies this “Passion for the Water” vibe, showing all facets of aquatic sport, including swimming lessons, water polo, non-competitive swimming, among several others.
A new logo is also a key element of the rebranding, with the KNZB organization now represented by an orange lion with a blue mane seen below. Says the federation of its new logo, “everyone who loves sport knows the lion; the lion makes us winners.” The blue symbolizes how “the lion now reigns in the water.”
KNZB Logo, courtesy of knzb.nl
Pretty sure I’ve seen a black version of that lion in a Google Images search for ‘tribal lion tattoo’