By Bailey Hendricks
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Towson University President Kim Schatzel announced Thursday that the university will be rebranding with a new logo and a new way to communicate Towson’s benefits and virtues.
The rebranding is part of the president’s TU Matters to Maryland priority, one of eight priorities of Schatzel.
“I hope each of you will proudly wear and proudly share this new TU brand mark as we boldly tell the contemporary story of Towson University and together write the next chapter of TU’s story and TU’s future success,” said Schatzel in her fall presidential address at the Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts.
The TU Matters to Maryland priority is a communication strategy that “is aimed at retelling the contemporary story of Towson University and what makes Towson University distinctive and valuable to the state of Maryland in 2018 and well beyond,” said Schatzel.
The new logo will be in the Calvert pattern of the Maryland flag, and will be true to Towson’s black and gold colors, she said.
News of the new logo excited Diamond Ward, a senior mass communication major.
“I like the new logo because it actually forms from the Maryland state flag,” Ward said.
Marina Cooper, vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said she liked the modern design of the new logo.
“We love how it connects and almost folds,” Cooper said. “It looks like a ribbon.”
Sean Welsh, director of media relations and news, said Towson’s new branding is a culmination of 18 months of work across the university and the result of conversations with more than 2,000 people, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.
Welsh noted that the visual logo is not the only change to Towson’s image.
“There’s a new brand voice that we’re delivering,” Welsh said. “And just a general way that we’ll be speaking about Towson University that kind of is indicative of the visuals you’re seeing on the screen. It’s an exciting time. It’s the first change in more than 20 years for the university for the visuals.”
Welsh said the presidential address acted as a soft launch to Towson’s new look, but that early next year, Towson’s homepage will receive a makeover. At this time, people will be able to order apparel with the new logo too.
“Starting this January, Towson University will launch a campaign to communicate this 2018 contemporary identity that nods to our history but also clearly states who Towson University is today,” Schatzel said.
Welsh said that the university is planning ways to allow students to take pride in the new logo.
“As far as students go, we’re planning at some point to do a T-shirt swap of some sort, or a couple of events similar to T-shirt swaps where students can bring in their old Towson swag and get some new Towson swag with the new mark on it,” Welsh said. “So, lots of exciting stuff that will be happening in January.”
Welsh said the university will allow divisions and departments to phase out letterhead and other inventory with old logos on it until the end of 2019, but that by the first day of 2020, the new logo will “pretty much be the only image you see.”
Welsh also made the distinction that the athletic department’s tiger logo will be unchanged.
Schatzel told the audience that she hopes to see many people representing Towson’s new look and brand identity.