Why is Iowa State athletics changing its identity, and why now?

We are building a clear and consistent way to brand Iowa State Athletics – through our team apparel, retail merchandise, in facilities and on collateral materials – at a time when the department is growing dramatically and changing its culture. Our current identity package includes two primary, three secondary and four word marks and this shift to the “Iowa State” mark will brand us more decisively as its equity builds (through success on the playing fields / courts).

Is this identity going to be applied to all sports?

Yes, the mark and the colors will be applied to all facets of the athletics department. It will require a gradual implementation, but the mark will become our primary identity for athletics in 2008.

Why the “Iowa State” mark?

During our evaluative process, we found that nearly three-quarters of peer institutions use a letter(s) as their helmet icon. Only 20% use a graphics element and a few have neither. Only four schools incorporate their school mascot into the mark. That led our committee to choosing the word / letter marks “Iowa State”, “ISU” and “Cyclones” as finalists for the online voting. There was support for each of those designations, but a strong majority favored “Iowa State”. The “Iowa State” mark represented a fresh look to many voters, and it is far less complex than the present mark.

Who were the members of the committee?

The committee members were Dr. Cheryl Achterberg, Dean of the College of Human Sciences,   Jessica Barker, lecturer for the Textiles and Clothing Department in the College of Design, Mary Pink, Assistant AD for Marketing, Steve Malchow, Senior Associate A.D. for Communications, David Harris, Senior Associate A.D. for Student Services, Gene Chizik, Head Football Coach and Jamie Pollard, Director of Athletics.

How did we go from a football uniform re-design to a new graphics identity?

After Gene Chizik was hired last winter, our administration asked for his input on the team’s game day attire. In working with him on the throwback game (honoring the 1977 Peach Bowl team), much discussion was focused on the lack of gold – one of our primary school colors – on our uniforms. That led to more talks about a uniform / helmet overhaul. Because most schools (70% of those in the BCS) use their helmet mark as the main athletics identity, we knew that a helmet design switch could lead to other changes. That moved us towards a serious discussion of our overall identity.

What’s the status of the current Cy/Cyclone mark?

Outside the state of Iowa, there is a low rate of recognition for the current icon. Our coaches, who recruit nationally, say the mark is not recognizable to recruits outside of our region. The school colors (notably gold) are not emphasized; there is confusion about the cardinal inside a cyclone; the cyclone is hard to see under the word mark; and the logo’s intricate detail makes it hard to read in smaller applications (such as a television graphic or shirt emblem).

What happens to Cy?

Nothing. Cy remains our mascot and that will not change. There is a tremendous pride and support for Cy, which is very important to the alums and fan base of Iowa State. Cy will continue to be our school’s goodwill ambassador – much like Ronald McDonald – in the role of school mascot. Many people wrote to us about Cy’s recent victory in an online mascot contest. Although that popularity is a fact, a mascot has a different role and purpose than a logo or identity mark.

Why didn’t the gold change?

We worked with our apparel partner, Nike, to consider available gold colors for apparel. Gold is an extremely difficult color to re-produce in print and on clothing. A metallic gold (like the San Francisco 49ers or Notre Dame) has been used sporadically at Iowa State (on the helmet for six years in the 1960s). With Nike’s guidance, we decided to keep the same gold, but actually incorporate gold into our team apparel much more significantly than the past decade. Ironically, the only other BCS school in the nation with stated colors of cardinal and gold (USC) also employs this shade of gold.

What about the navy blue?

Iowa State is eliminating the use of the navy blue in its athletics marks. Two of the most-prominent current facility marks are the end zone and mid-field logos at Jack Trice Stadium. Ironically, the paint used for the end zone logos is 42% blue, 42% white, 11% cardinal and 5% gold; for mid-field it is 46% blue, 28% cardinal, 23% white and 3% gold. Moving forward, we will not include blue as a part of our marks as the emphasis shifts back to our school’s cardinal and gold palate.

How strongly did you consider the throwback uniforms as the permanent look?

The throwback game to honor the 1977 Peach Bowl team was a wonderful tribute to Coach Earle Bruce and his team, especially in light of the Cyclones’ victory against Iowa. We took major elements of that throwback uniform for the re-design. Two of the most significant football uniform alterations – which mirror the 1977 uniforms – are the return of gold and the piping around the shoulders.