Row Ontario Unveils a Refreshed Look and New Website
Announcement/ Dec 6

Row Ontario Unveils a Refreshed Look and New Website


Row Ontario is thrilled to unveil a refreshed look for the association’s brand in concert with the launching of a newly designed website as part of the modernization of the organization’s digital presence.


A volunteer-led organization with over 60 member clubs and 8,000 individual members, Row Ontario’s refreshed brand provides a new look and identity for the provincial sport organization while paying homage to its history. The upgrades to the new logo include a modernized font, fresh colours, and the removal of the trillium flower from the second ‘O’ in Ontario. The logo also maintains the classic image of a boat which members of the Ontario rowing community are accustomed to. To keep the look of the boat in the logo Row Ontario is spelled with all caps, however moving forward in print the official spelling will be ‘Row Ontario’ as opposed to ROWONTARIO which was previously used.

In addition to the new logo, Row Ontario has also created an extension of the brand which represents the association’s goal for members of the rowing community to ‘Row On For Life’. The brand extension features a modern look and the incorporation of the trillium flower on a new word mark, crest and icon. The boat logo will remain the organization’s main identity while the brand extension will be used primarily on digital and print platforms as well as future merchandise opportunities.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of Row Ontario,” said Andrew Backer, Executive Director of Row Ontario. “We’ve introduced a refreshed look that we think will resonate with the members of the Ontario rowing community and will really help modernize our brand within the sporting community. Our new website is also huge improvement both visually and functionally and provides us with the ability to evolve our digital presence in the years to come. We think it will really benefit our members and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the way it turned out.”

The newly launched website will provide the Ontario rowing community with an easier way to access information and become better connected with the sport of rowing. It was designed with key stakeholders such as athletes, parents, coaches, umpires and clubs in mind and was developed by world-class design agency They Integrated. The website features include a ‘Find a Club’ section, a modern events calendar for all regattas, seminars and clinics and a scrollable news feed. The customization options also provide Row Ontario with the opportunity to adapt the website with the changing needs of the sport.


Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Row Ontario undertake a re-branding project?

We did not embark on a complete re-brand, the cost of which would be significant.

Was it necessary to undertake this brand refresh?

While undergoing the process of modernizing our digital presence, we felt it was important that our brand was refreshed as well. It was also necessary to develop extensions of our identity as the rectangle shape of the ‘original’ identity restricts the use of the identity in a number of platforms, which often leads to the brand being used incorrectly. To ensure our identity is used professionally extensions of the brand were necessary.

When will we start using the refreshed logo and subsequent extensions?

There is no urgency for implementation of the refreshed brand, but we do expect to have the previous version phased out in time for Niagara 2021. The first use of the refreshed brand will be on our new website, then shortly followed by implementing extensions of the brand on social media and other digital platforms. Over time you will see more and more use of the wordmark and the crest, but the icon will likely not be phased in for some time as we will need time for the rowing and non-rowing community to embrace the other identities.

Is Row Ontario going to remove all items containing the old logo and expecting others to do the same?

No. There is no expectation to replace anything with the “old” logo on it, however it is expected that the new identity be used, following the approved branding guidelines, as items are replaced our new items are produced. We do ask over time however that our Member Clubs, when using our logo on their club’s website to use the new logo.

Will Row Ontario be creating exclusive looks for all stakeholders?

No. The expectation is that the Membership will use the original’ identity on websites. Any other use of this or any other Row Ontario identity will require the expressed written consent of the Row Ontario office.