The University of Guelph has a whole new look, including a new logo for its Guelph Gryphons athletics department.
The Ontario-based university and U Sports member unveiled their new brand identity on Friday, March 21, calling it “an evolution, not a rebrand, of current logo assets.” The new logos and typography for both the university and the athletics program “support digital accessibility while retaining the original artistic intent of the brand.”
The new Gryphons logo depicts a stately red griffin — the mythical creature with the body, tail and legs of a lion and the head, wings and talons of an eagle — with one front leg off the ground. The griffin’s beak and the end of its tails are gold, along with some of the feathers in its wings. The whole logo has a thick black outline, and in the primary version, it stands atop “GUELPH” in a large modern font and “GRYPHONS” in a smaller font.
Overall, the new griffin is much less abstract than the previous version.
A secondary logo depicts the griffin’s head emerging out the negative space in a G.
The new university logo, meanwhile, is inspired by the original U of G coat of arms designed in 1964, but also includes a gryphon sitting atop the emblem, “a design choice made to deepen the connection between U of G and its Department of Athletics.” Like the athletics logo, it emphasizes “GUELPH” as the university’s main signifier.
The design process was handled in-house at the U of G, and it was led by Ethan Bersche, manager of brand strategy, who collaborated with marketing and communications leaders across the campus. Michelle Pino, marketing and communications manager for the athletics department, partnered with Bersche to develop the Gryphons logo. “The final designs were shaped through consultations with students, faculty, staff, alumni, athletes, donors and industry partners,” the university says.
The U of G is gradually rolling out the new brand this spring and summer, with a formal launch to follow when the new academic year begins in September. Merchandise with the new logos is available through the university’s bookstore.
