What is the Colorado Brand?

WHAT'S THE OBSESSION WITH THE COLORADO FLAG?

That’s all well and good, but why is Colorado such a brand unto itself? Here at 1876, we believe that a part of the reason is our timeless Colorado flag design.

The current iteration of the Colorado flag was designed by Andrew Carlisle Carson in 1911 and adopted by the Colorado General Assembly later that year, on June 5. At this time, there were no official reds, yellows, or blues that had to be consistent on the flag; Same with the Colorado "C." The legislature did not specify guidelines or rules for the size of the "C," its location, or its color. 

On February 28, 1929, the General Assembly decided that the blue and red present on the Colorado flag would officially be the same as those same colors used on the United States flag. Later, on March 31, 1964, they also declared that the diameter of the gold disc would be equal to the center stripe.

 Some years ago, there was a legal fight about the Colorado flag. Some governmental agencies contended the flag was not “public domain,” and therefore, wasn’t to be used on things like shirts. When it was all said and done, it became clear that the flag represents all of us, and so belongs to all of us. The state launched the “Brand Colorado” initiative several years later, with the purpose of creating a mark representing official state business. They also launched a program to certify companies that are Colorado local, and we’re proud to have been one of the very first companies certified under that program.

We, as Coloradans, collectively take great pride in where we live, and the symbol of our great state. If you think about it, Colorado is one of the few states where you see people wearing the flag around all the time - on Colorado flag shirts, Colorado flag hats, and even on home goods.