Upper Iowa University’s athletic teams, known as the Peacocks, compete in NCAA Division II. The university’s current athletic identity centers on a peacock head logo on a shield, a design introduced in 2017 as part of a university-wide rebranding effort.
Design and History
The current Peacock logo was publicly unveiled on April 20, 2017, at a Logo Launch Party on Upper Iowa University’s Fayette Campus. The redesign was part of a broader university rebranding that also introduced a new University logo and the “Education Built for Life” brand. The previous University logo, nicknamed the “Towers” logo, was retired as part of this effort.[1]
The rebranding effort began in October 2015 when the Board of Trustees identified the need to enhance how UIU communicates its identity. The University engaged Geile/Leon Marketing Communications, based in St. Louis, Missouri, to redefine its brand and logo. For the athletic logo specifically, the UIU Athletic Department began seeking proposals in October 2016 and selected Torch Creative, a design studio based in Dallas, Texas. A working committee of faculty, staff, coaches, student athletes and alumni reviewed the designs and provided feedback. The logo was finalized in February 2017.[2]
According to Brock Wissmiller, assistant athletic director for external affairs at the time, the goal of the new Peacock head was to provide a new identity that strengthened its appearance. The new design used more modernized lines in the Peacock itself to create a sleeker and more energetic visual. The altering of the head feathers helped generate more of a forward direction of movement for the Peacocks.[2]
The university’s official trademark policy describes the Peacock logo as “a side-profile image of a Peacock with four feathers extending backward from its head on a shield background.”[3] The previous Peacock logo was phased out gradually, with digital platforms such as social media and websites changing first, followed by apparel and uniforms as new orders were placed.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The inclusion of a shield in the Peacock logo was intentional. According to Wissmiller, the shield “helps symbolize the strength that the Peacocks exemplify both on and off the field, as well as the pride in the history of Upper Iowa and all of those that have come before.”[2]
The peacock mascot itself traces back to the school’s colors. In the early 1890s, W.C. Marby, a right end on the first UIU football team, was asked to find appropriate colors for Upper Iowa and returned with two ribbons: Peacock Blue and White. These became the official school colors. Two students, Henry Dickman and Will Baker, class of 1893, then decided that since Peacock Blue was in use, the peacock should serve as the school mascot. The peacock became the official mascot in September 1920 when the student newspaper, The Collegian, began using “Peacocks” as the official name for UIU athletic teams.[4]
Upper Iowa’s school colors are listed as Peacock Blue, Navy and White in official athletic materials.[5]
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