UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs Reveal Logo Finalists For Brand Refresh

On several occasions over the last four months, the University if California, Santa Cruz, has asked alumni, fans and students to vote on a new logo and wordmark.

Now on the verge of choosing the winner, the Banana Slugs want your input one last time.

The final round of the #NewSlug2020 voting is now running!
Click to vote by May 19th and we will reveal the new rebrand in Junehttps://t.co/s1pkytXU9c pic.twitter.com/iEd2biUGbs
— UCSC Athletics (@UCSCAthletics) May 5, 2020

The #NewSlug2020 campaign began in February with the university offering 18 different logo concepts — created by Skye Dillon and the team at Skye Design Studios — which have since been narrowed down to just two finalists after multiple rounds of voting.

The finalists share many of the same qualities, particularly the slug’s facial expression and overall stance, as well as the inclusion of redwood trees in the background. One logo is shaped like a shield, though, while the other makes uses the slug as part of a stylistic “UC.”

UC Santa Cruz’s beloved mascot, Sammy the Slug, has taken on my styles since the Banana Slug nickname was introduced through a student-led memorandum in 1986, including several activity-related or sport-specific marks. Thus, the primary objective of this year’s logo update is to “establish a single, consistent visual representation of the slug in all athletic branding.”

That said, the new logo — which will be unveiled on June 5 alongside a new custom typeface — will not replace the Fiat Slug used by the UC Santa Cruz bookstore or the mark used by the school’s department of recreation.

The final round of voting runs through May 19, with the university-appointed brand committee then choosing the winner based on the input they receive.

Photos via the University of California, Santa Cruz.