Oregon State University released a new brand identity and institutional logo during the “Celebrate Oregon State” event in the Memorial Union quad on Monday, April 24. The logo depicts various images all related to the identity of OSU.

According to Steve Clark, vice president of university relations and marketing, the new logo credits and provides attention to the fact that OSU is a statewide university by depicting elements that represent not just the university, but Oregon as well.

“In this case, I think most people who live in Oregon love the state, it’s topography and natural wonder,” Clark said.

The new logo includes various images that illustrate Oregon’s beauty and the OSU’s role as a research university with land, sea, sun and space grants.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive regarding not only the university’s new institutional logo, but also the meaning behind the new branding we have rolled and the and the creative campaign—”Out There”—that we have launched,” Clark said. “We think this support is the result of this branding effort following two years’ worth of work that engaged many hundreds of OSU faculty, staff, students alumni and stakeholders, and was informed by public and alumni opinion research.”

According to the Oregon State Brand Frequently Asked Questions website, University Relations and Marketing initiated the new brand identity and logo project. To create and brand the new logo, URM collaborated with Ologie, a leading branding agency, and Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy.

“Oregon State’s contract with Ologie for an audit of existing branding and market research was $110,000, and the contract to develop the refreshed brand positioning, a creative campaign and other marketing and communications strategies was $285,000,” the Oregon State Brand FAQ website stated. “The contract with Pentagram for the new logo was $85,000. Both companies were chosen through a request-for-proposal process.”

No tuition or state funds were used in the creation of this logo. Proceeds received by the university from the sale of licensed university merchandise and the OSU Foundation contributions paid for the logo, according to the Oregon State Brand FAQ website.

“Of course, we heard some complaints. But they were not extensive. We recognize that change is hard for some folks to accept and that creative designs, such as the new academic crest that is part of our logo, is a form of artwork,” Clark said. “Everyone has a right to judge what they like and don’t like.”