George Mason University’s branding is getting a makeover. The school announced Thursday the rollout of a new logo, to be used for both the university and its athletic department. This change is the final step in a three-year rebranding effort that began in 2021.
New Look
The new logo features an interlocking G and M, in the school’s signature green and gold colors. It has bolder shades than previous designs, “to signify its confidence as a rising national leader,” according to a news release. Its clean lines and open ends symbolize “multiple entry points and pathways to success,” while the gold shape surrounded by green “depicts the university’s signature diversity and inclusivity.”
Previously, there had been two separate logos for the university and its athletic department. For the university, the logo incorporated a stylized quill in the “M” in the school’s name. For the athletics department, there was a shooting-star logo.
The use of “GM” recognizes that the community commonly refers to the university as “George Mason” rather than “Mason” or “GMU,” the news release said. This makes the university the only one in the world to use those initials in its logo.
Creating a single, streamlined visual for the entire university will also help fix operational problems from the former visuals, which were difficult to maintain consistently.
It will take some time before the new visuals completely take over, and the goal is to make the transition without any additional university spending. Digital displays and other assets that are free to change will be replaced first. Branded materials that run out periodically will be given the new logo when they need to be replaced. Signage will be replaced by reallocating the Office of University Branding’s budget.
Big Changes
This is just one aspect of a greater rebranding initiative, which began in 2021 in anticipation of the school’s 50th anniversary in 2022. Among the changes was the adoption of an updated brand narrative, “All Together Different.”
“Higher education in America is at an inflection point, with families having a harder time finding a top-quality, affordable college education at a university that will actually admit them,” said George Mason President Gregory Washington. “George Mason has always offered these things, but few families know of this value because our brand and message have not been adequately heard.
This new look is our reintroduction to the community, and a symbol of our commitment to the fundamentals: outstanding and rigorous academics, pragmatic career preparation and internships, flexibility and value, and an atmosphere of belonging for everyone.”
This rebranding aims to signify George Mason’s role as a leading national public research university. In fall 2023, it held a state-record total student enrollment of over 40,000. In 2023, it established Virginia’s first College of Public Health.
“George Mason has always boxed above its weight in Northern Virginia and D.C., and it needs an identity system to compete in the most competitive higher education market in the nation,” said Horace Blackman, rector of George Mason’s Board of Visitors. “This identity system brings George Mason shoulder-to-shoulder with leading brands in higher education.”
Feature image courtesy George Mason University
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