The merger between Ent Credit Union and Minnesota-based Wings Credit Union will see the combined company adopting the Wings name – and with that change comes a new Wings logo, unveiled Wednesday.

The differences between the previous Wings emblem and the new one might not be immediately apparent, but changes in the color palette, lettering and graphics are the result of a months-long design process, according to Amy Nigrelli, Ent’s chief marketing officer.

“We talked to thousands of members in surveys and focus groups,” Nigrelli said. “Our member view us a warm, friendly and approachable. We wanted a logo that represented that.”

Logo designer Sarah Berkheimer said multiple design iterations were produced over a several months, with periodic testing.

“Once we had multiple options that we felt good about, we put those into testing with thousands of folks — members, employees and even prospects,” said Berkheimer, design director for Cactus Communications. “We wanted to deliver a new brand and visual identity that (Ent and Wings members) could embrace and be proud of.”

The Ent-Wings merger became official on Jan. 1, in a “merger of equals” that makes the newly formed Wings one of the largest credit unions in the U.S. For those not keeping track of the developments, a visit to the Ent website alerts members to the impending name change: “Ent Credit Union Becoming Wings Credit Union.”

“We didn’t want any of our members to be caught off guard,” Nigrelli explained.

Nigrelli said the decision to adopt the Wings name was part of the give-and-take process inherent in this kind of merger.

“A merger of equals is kind of like when two people get married,” she said. “We decided to take the name Wings, in part, because we cant to balance out the equity in the relationship.”

The Wings name also serves as a nod to a shared history in aviation, officials said. Wings was originally founded in 1938 as the Northwest Airlines Employees Credit Union, while Ent was established in 1957 to serve military and civilian personnel assigned to Ent Air Force Base (now the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.

 No service centers will close as a result of the merger, the two entities have said, and the combined credit union will maintain headquarters in both Colorado Springs and Apple Valley, Minn.

Nigrelli acknowledged that some Ent members – particularly those who have a long history with the credit union – might feel some initial discomfort with the name change.

“We have this incredible origin story of (affiliation with) Ent Air Force Base, and a lot of people – especially here in Colorado Springs – have a connection to that, she said.”

“While the name is changing, the things you love about Ent are not. We did not let anybody go as part of the merger, so you’ll see the same friendly faces and the same personal customer service you’ve grown accustomed to.”

It could take up to two years for the transition to fully take effect, including the interior design of the service centers, new checkbooks and debit cards, and other changes. But one thing that will not change, Nigrelli said, is the name of the Ent Center for the Performing Art in the Springs.

“There are some things that we are very intentionally not changing, and the Ent Center for the Arts is one of them,” she said.