The Kutztown Golden Bears are the athletic teams of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, an NCAA Division II program competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The university’s athletic identity centers on a trademarked Golden Bear logo family that includes the bear mark, a bear paw mark, and associated wordmarks.
Design and History
Kutztown University developed its Golden Bear logo family for use beginning in the summer of 2004. The primary logo features a golden bear above the wording “Kutztown University Golden Bears,” with the wording designed to complement the university logo unveiled the previous fall. The university created the logo in partnership with Phoenix Design Works of New York City.[1]
In August 2017, the athletic department released a refreshed set of athletic logos, maintaining the “Golden Bear” brand while updating the logo library for the 2017-18 season. The refresh was an extension of the original 2004 logo creation, again produced through a partnership between the university’s division of Communications, Marketing and External Affairs and Phoenix Design Works, now based in Maplewood, N.J. The most visible logos, including the Golden Bear, remained prominent, while new primary logos provided altered artwork for the “Kutztown” and “KU” wordmarks.[2]
The university logo, the athletic logos featuring the Golden Bear and paw, and images of the KU mascot, Avalanche, are all trademarked items that cannot be altered without permission from the University Relations Office.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The bear paw mark is one of the Golden Bear’s paws from the primary logo, with shaded claws, and serves as a standalone secondary mark within the logo family.[4]
Typography and Design
The Golden Bear logo family uses a color palette of Pantone 195 (maroon), Pantone 871 (metallic gold), Pantone Black, and white. One-color versions of each logo may be used in black, metallic gold (871), maroon (195), or white on dark backgrounds only.[4]
Kutztown University’s official school colors are maroon and gold, specified as Maroon PMS 195 and Metallic Gold PMS 871. When metallic ink is unavailable, the university uses an alternate primary gold, Keystone (PMS 4515), and when that is unavailable, a secondary Spirit Gold (PMS 123) is used for merchandise.[5]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
