OSU unveils new logo, branding

Oregon State University unveiled a new institutional logo and branding Monday that pays homage to OSU’s nearly 150 years of service as Oregon’s statewide university and its mission as a 21st-century land grant university.

Along with the logo and branding, Oregon State rolled out a creative marketing campaign entitled “Out There,” which emphasizes the expansive reach and relevance of the university’s statewide, national and global impacts.

The logo and branding were unveiled Mon day during the Celebrate Oregon State event in Corvallis, with similar events planned for Wednesday in Portland and for May 3 in Bend.

“Oregon State University’s new institutional logo celebrates OSU’s near 150-year legacy of excellence in teaching, research, and outreach and engagement,” said Steve Clark, OSU’s vice president for University Relations and Marketing.

The new logo and its academic crest tell a unique story about the university’s mission as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution. On the new logo, a beaver (the state animal, as well as OSU’s mascot) sits atop an academic crest. Inside the crest, a tree and an open book represent knowledge. The three stars represent OSU’s three campuses in Corvallis, Bend and Newport, while also referencing Oregon as the 33rd state in the union. Finally, the year 1868 denotes OSU’s founding. The new look also offers a nod to the state of Oregon shield that is portrayed on the state flag. The crest also represents the geography of the state of Oregon.

Oregon State’s new institutional logo replaces the current orange “OSU” logo that was created in 2003. The OSU athletic logo remains as it has been since 2013.

“Establishing a refreshed visual identity with a powerful and cohesive look and feel was needed to represent the brand of the entire university,” Clark said. “This branded logo portrays the promise and product of Oregon State: high-quality teaching, research and community engagement. It also portrays a personality of a university that indelibly serves Oregon and Oregonians with a statewide mission.

“The personality traits of Oregon State and members of Beaver Nation are gritty, determined, confident, collaborative, visionary, conscientious and welcoming,” Clark said.

“OSU people are out there working throughout Oregon and around the world, determined to innovate, solve tough problems and create a future that is better, healthier, more sustainable and more just for all. The new branding reaffirms our mission to serve all Oregonians while expanding the impacts of our teaching, research, and outreach and engagement.”

Clark said universities worldwide increasingly utilize logos and branding to portray their unique identities, promise and personality.

“It is essential in the 21 st century that Oregon State’s logo and brand convey the quality, relevance, leadership and access to higher education that OSU provides all Oregonians and increasingly the nation and the world,” Clark said.

For its new logo, Oregon State teamed with Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy. Pentagram’s experience in higher education includes working with the University of Southern California, Columbia University and Loyola Marymount University.

Meanwhile, OSU developed its refreshed brand positioning in collaboration with Ologie, a leading branding agency with extensive experience in higher education. Their clients include the University of Arizona, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.

University Relations and Marketing staff and its consultants spoke with hundreds of faculty, students, prospective students, alumni, donors and other stakeholders about how they see Oregon State and how they believe the university should be represented. Those thoughts became the basis of the new logo and the refreshed branding that will change how the university looks on the web, in print and on signage.

No tuition or state funds were used to create the logo and the accompanying branding. Proceeds from the sale of licensed university merchandise and contributions from the OSU Foundation paid for this work, Clark said.