The Central Washington Wildcats are the varsity athletic teams representing Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, competing in NCAA Division II. The university’s official colors are crimson and black.[1]
Design and History
Central Washington Athletics introduced a new brand identity on May 25, 2016, developed over a five-month process with the design firm Joe Bosack & Co., based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.[2] The identity was exclusive to CWU Athletics and included a new primary mark, secondary marks, and custom typography and numbers.[3]
The new primary mark was described as a head-on version of CWU’s existing side-facing cat head mark, with “CWU” arched above it.[3] The side-facing cat head, which had served as the primary logo for the previous five years, was retained as a secondary logo.[4]
That earlier side-facing cat head mark dated to a 2012 athletics rebrand. The official athletics site lists “New Logos (2012)” with a primary mark and two secondary versions, one combining “CWU” with the cat head and another featuring the cat head alone.[5] A designer portfolio identifies the wildcat head as an official mark created during CWU’s rebrand in the 2011-2012 academic year.[6]
According to Director of Athletics Dennis Francois, the goal of the 2016 identity was to develop “a complete and unifying brand identity that reflects the current status and aspirations of the CWU Athletics program” while complementing and supporting the existing cat head logo.[3] Assistant Athletic Director Tyler Unsicker noted the intent was to create an identity “uniquely athletics” while retaining an inclusive feeling.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2016 primary cat head mark was described by the athletics department as evoking “a sense of energy, empowerment, and inclusion” and representing “the competitive and high-caliber nature of CWU Athletics.”[3]
Typography and Design
The 2016 brand identity included a custom typography and numbers developed specifically for CWU Athletics.[3] The university’s brand guidelines state that the CWU Athletics logo is for the exclusive use of CWU Athletics and is subject to both the CWU brand identity standards and the CWU Athletics identity guidelines.[7]
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