Let’s face it, there are a lot of lions, tigers and bears out there representing our beloved school teams, very few of which have a unique look. Sports uniform companies are typically the original source for a school’s athletic mascot art. When ordering for the team, someone looked in the catalog and chose which tiger they preferred and the rest is school history. Unfortunately, many schools used that same catalog. So how do you make your mascot truly your own?
Modernize the Logo System
Today, schools use their athletic mascots as the school mascot so that everyone feels ownership. Often well-intended boosters, swag companies and non-brand managers modify the logo to suit their needs, which weakens the power of the mark.
We recommend creating a robust system that offers several presentations of the logo with branded colors, typography, and clear guidelines for use. This will give fans the variety they want while logo guidelines (coupled with monitoring) will build consistent use and put the power back into your school identity.
Rethink Outdated Mascots
Sometimes the right path is rethinking the mascot entirely and going in a new direction. Other times a refresh comes into focus when a community reconsiders whether its mascot can unintentionally cause offense. In either case, collaborating with students, parents, staff, and alumni in the selection process is ideal. When selecting a new mascot, identify which historical aspects of the brand are important to maintain, and which can reflect a more modern vision.
A modern look will allow your school's most-cherished visual to keep pace with your school.
