Davidson Launches New Spirit Marks
8/13/2010 11:57:48 AM | General
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Davidson College unveiled its new spirit marks during Meet the Wildcats Fan Day on the Davidson Town Green this afternoon. Apparel bearing the new look for Davidson athletics is on sale in Cats on Main, located at 131 Main Street, and the college's on-campus bookstore.
Davidson put together a campus committee comprised of students, staff, alumni and coaches who teamed with SME, Inc., a branding company out of New York City. A yearlong process of creative design and market testing produced primary, secondary and tertiary marks, a youth mark and a new font, specifically designed for Davidson.
The new spirit marks are for use campus wide but will not replace Davidson's institutional mark, which is the word “Davidson” with a bar and diamond underneath it.
“Through the process, we found that our students, alumni and fans really have an affinity for and identify with our current logo, the cat with the diamond behind it, so we opted to continue along that evolutionary track to get our primary mark,” said Director of Athletics Jim Murphy. “I'm extremely happy with the results, and I think it will help us capitalize on the equity we have already built in our current brand. We also added a secondary mark, tertiary mark and youth mark to give us variety.”
The secondary mark is a “D” with claw marks through it, and the tertiary mark is a paw print in the shape of a “D.” All three marks along with the words, “Davidson,” “Davidson College” and “Wildcats” allow for a myriad of design options for Davidson's 21 varsity athletic programs.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people—locally, nationally, and all over the world—who care deeply about Davidson and who follow news about the college,” said Davidson President Tom Ross. “Thanks to a number of things, including The Davidson Trust and the success of our student athletes, the college has achieved a new level of visibility in recent years. The college's commitment to honor, integrity and excellence in the classroom and in the athletic arena is stronger than ever. We hope that our new fans as well as those who have loved Davidson for years will embrace and enjoy the new spirit marks.”
Davidson teams will be sporting the logo this fall on their practice and travel gear and will phase the new marks in on competition uniforms over the next two to three years as the need to purchase new uniforms arises.
“I'm thrilled with the look of our new spirit marks,” said men's basketball coach Bob McKillop. “They are clean, crisp, bright and exciting, and they hold true to the identity of Davidson. Our fans and alumni have such a strong connection to Davidson, and I think the new marks will further strengthen that bond.”
The new spirit mark is the ninth Davidson has used since becoming known as the Wildcats following a football game at Auburn in 1917. The most recent before today's launch had been in use since 1994. Pictures of Davidson's previous logos are available online.
Davidson is a highly-selective independent liberal arts college for 1,800 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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