New Valpo Team Name Ideas

[VU2014]

The Torch (student newspaper) wrote an article about Bryan's Logos.

https://twitter.com/valpotorch/status/1435286845697544194?s=21

[valpo95]

Since the logo reveal, has anyone really seen the University feature the lighthouse anywhere on their internet platforms? I could be wrong, but the fact that they themselves aren't even confident enough to promote the new logo all over the place proves how much of a marketing failure this is. Beacons = fine, logo = terrible.

It came out on a few of the schedules released by the Athletic Dept. the day or two after the announcement. These were out on social media and on the websites, with the new lighthouse logo on the bottom left of the announcments. However, subsequent releases from the Athletic Dept. had the V-Shield logo instead.

The lighthouse logo that was released is terrible, and fortunately the Athletic department has realized that is the case. We can hope the rest of the University does the same.

[vuny98]

Since the logo reveal, has anyone really seen the University feature the lighthouse anywhere on their internet platforms? I could be wrong, but the fact that they themselves aren't even confident enough to promote the new logo all over the place proves how much of a marketing failure this is. Beacons = fine, logo = terrible.

It came out on a few of the schedules released by the Athletic Dept. the day or two after the announcement. These were out on social media and on the websites, with the new lighthouse logo on the bottom left of the announcments. However, subsequent releases from the Athletic Dept. had the V-Shield logo instead. The lighthouse logo that was released is terrible, and fortunately the Athletic department has realized that is the case. We can hope the rest of the University does the same.

Yet for some reason we have it at the top of this website. It haunts me every time I log on.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/brydfly/status/1436405691447660546?s=21

[valpo04]

I'd like to thank Bryan for allowing the usage of these logos on our message board. They look fantastic. 

[valpopal]

I'd like to thank Bryan for allowing the usage of these logos on our message board. They look fantastic. 

Yes, they look great and should be an example for the VU administration to adopt as well. Thanks valpo04 and Bryan! (Can we get rid of the lighthouse now?)

[valpo04]

I'd like to thank Bryan for allowing the usage of these logos on our message board. They look fantastic. 

Yes, they look great and should be an example for the VU administration to adopt as well. Thanks valpo04 and Bryan! (Can we get rid of the lighthouse now?)

Done! (at least on our banner) 

[Chitwood]

Bryan's designs are decent aesthetically. But, to be honest, I don't think our primary logo should be a religious symbol. The entire point of getting rid of the Crusader moniker was to be more inclusive. Making the face of the University a religious chapel is the opposite of broadening the school's appeal. A great chunk of the University's student population doesn't identifying as religious.

I'm not saying we shouldn't tap into those values or even celebrate the Lutheran heritage of the school. But, I don't think it should be the primary logo. If you look across the country, really only Notre Dame makes a religion an outwardly facing marketing tool. Other schools like Georgetown, Boston College, Loyola, Depaul, and others are religious but don't make it a focal point.

So, I think it would be best for the University to not have a chapel as the primary logo.

[crusadermoe]

Agreed on not using this chapel design. It is hard to see and not recognizable to most who haven't seen the unique roof.

Your further comment about avoiding religion as a focal point at all of those schools very well might be true. If pulling back the religious element is a strategic goal for Valpo, then that pretty well summarizes the wandering focus of the school and its struggles.

What does it want to be?  And does it have the resources to wander into competition with those bigger schools who don't want to put forth a catholic identity? If you are seeking a blurred identity you can choose among 600-700 private schools nationally.

[Chairback]

Watch the next big thing some people will want is to tear down the chapel. 

[DuneHwx]

Interesting. I don't see the logo as religious at all. I see it referencing the largest architectural feature of the school and doing it very well. There is a reason it has resonated with so many people, it is very well designed.

[Chitwood]

Your point is well taken about it being the school's biggest architectural feature. That's definitely true. But, if the primary logo of your university is a chapel/church/cathedral, it's hard to differentiate the religious aspect of the building from the logo.

Imagine if you're a random student in Michigan checking out colleges. You hear about Valpo and you do a quick Google search. When you first see in this logo you're going to think: (1) oh that's a church, the school must be very religious or (2) what is that? Is that a building?... You're not going to think "ah that's an architectural feature of the University." Instant reactions are important and I'm just not sure if this symbolism is the best moving forward.

Chairback – let's not be dramatic, no one is saying tear down the chapel.

Crusadermoe – you make several good points. First, the unique roof is definitely hard to distinguish if you are unfamiliar with the school. Secondly, the University definitely has to come up with a clear plan for how they want to be viewed by the general public. Maybe they do, perhaps it will be revealed in time. But, having an identity is crucially important, you're right.... Although, where I will disagree is that I don't think identifying as a religious institution above all other considerations is the best move. Societal trends show that school religious affiliations are becoming less and less important and that younger generations are becoming less and less religious. So, to directly tie yourself to religion as your #1 identity seems weird. It should be a identity, but not THE identity.

I think the school has done a great job in the last 15 years of keeping Christian values but also not shoving them down your throat. I hope this trend continues. I for one know that in my classes at Valpo, probably only 5-10% chose the school because of the religious history of the University. Like I said, it is still important, but should not be the primary focus (if the University plans on growing and wants to bring in more students).

[FWalum]

Bryan's designs are decent aesthetically. But, to be honest, I don't think our primary logo should be a religious symbol. The entire point of getting rid of the Crusader moniker was to be more inclusive. Making the face of the University a religious chapel is the opposite of broadening the school's appeal. A great chunk of the University's student population doesn't identifying as religious.

I'm not saying we shouldn't tap into those values or even celebrate the Lutheran heritage of the school. But, I don't think it should be the primary logo. If you look across the country, really only Notre Dame makes a religion an outwardly facing marketing tool. Other schools like Georgetown, Boston College, Loyola, Depaul, and others are religious but don't make it a focal point.

So, I think it would be best for the University to not have a chapel as the primary logo.

The Chapel is the center and highest point of campus, it was designed that way. O. P. Kretzmann often said, "If this place (Valparaiso University) departs from its purpose, the chapel should be an accusing embarrassment."  I am not a big fan of the Beacon nickname for our sports teams, perhaps it will grow on me, but I am ecstatic about the use of the chapel in Bryan's logo. I am tired of this university being ashamed of being Lutheran, of trying to be an indistinguishable secular university among the thousands of other similar places of higher education. It is time we rededicated ourselves to be what O. P. talked about in his inauguration speech, and I quote "It is this positive and aggressive approach to the problems of a changing world which enables us to face the future of this particular University with absolute confidence in its destiny. Only the school with a Christian orientation can today stand before the rising generation and say: We have something to offer you which you can find nowhere else. Others may try to make men scientific; we must do that-and make them wise. Others may give men knowledge; we must give them that-and understanding. Others may try to make men useful; we must do that-and we must make them noble. We are not asking you to come to an ivory tower to escape from the realities of life or to a market-place where the voices and minds of men are confused by the immediate and material things of life. We are able to give you the fellowship of men and women whose respect for Truth is not vitiated by doubts concerning its reality and permanence. We are able to offer you a school which recognizes the supreme dignity and worth of the individual human being. We are committed to the principle that the destiny of a Christian University lies in the quality of the men and women who are graduated from its halls rather than in quantitative production. Our future lies in the development of men and women, perhaps relatively few in number, whose quality will be so high that they will exert an influence on society which cannot be measured in terms of numbers."

I think that Bryan did his homework on Valpo, the sources are out there if anyone is interested. As has been mentioned on the forum before, Dr Baepler's book Flame of Faith, Lamp of Learning would be a good place to start. Then move on to sections of the O.P. Kretzmann Collection pertaining to VU.

[bbtds]

Dr Baepler's book Flame of Faith, Lamp of Learning would be a good place to start.

btw, Dr Richard Baepler passed away this past 2020. His funeral was only attended by his son, daughter, his son-in-law and pastor in "the chapel" as it was known by so many. That is a funeral I will always regret not being able to attend due to covid restrictions. 

[mp91]

I agree with the others, not a big fan of making the chapel the primary logo. Doesn't really make sense to make a religious symbol your primary logo if a great deal of students could care less about religious affiliations.

The Lutheran heritage is already a prominent marketing tool for the University. We don't really need to lean into it anymore. We have already tapped into the religious market. What the University needs to do to expand is be more attractive to general academically-inclined students. We need to be siphoning kids from the Indiana schools and other Midwest universities, not just religious kids. The religious nature of the University is always going to be a differentiating factor and always be present. However, making religion the primary focus of the University is only going to push away the people we want to attract.

Think about it – Baylor and BYU are some of the most religious universities in the country. And they do not use religious symbolism in logos. Same with many other prominent religious institutions.

The last thing you want is someone having to ask "do I have to be religious to go there?", As soon as that happens, you are wiping out at least 35% of your applicant pool. Let's learn from these major universities. We can come up with another great logo without a chapel.

[vu72]

I agree with the others, not a big fan of making the chapel the primary logo. Doesn't really make sense to make a religious symbol your primary logo if a great deal of students could care less about religious affiliations.

The Lutheran heritage is already a prominent marketing tool for the University. We don't really need to lean into it anymore. We have already tapped into the religious market. What the University needs to do to expand is be more attractive to general academically-inclined students. We need to be siphoning kids from the Indiana schools and other Midwest universities, not just religious kids. The religious nature of the University is always going to be a differentiating factor and always be present. However, making religion the primary focus of the University is only going to push away the people we want to attract.

Think about it – Baylor and BYU are some of the most religious universities in the country. And they do not use religious symbolism in logos. Same with many other prominent religious institutions.

The last thing you want is someone having to ask "do I have to be religious to go there?", As soon as that happens, you are wiping out at least 35% of your applicant pool. Let's learn from these major universities. We can come up with another great logo without a chapel.

While I agree that we need to be attracting students from various walks of life, we do need to maintain our focus on being a Lutheran institution.  Kids from day one have asked "do I have to be religious or do I need to take classes in Lutheranism".  Does Notre Dame shy away from their founding?  We walk a precarious line.  I only caution what OP said many years ago.  Without the cross we become just another Butler (he actually used a different university but some won't understand the context so I'll leave it at "Butler")

[mp91]

I agree with the others, not a big fan of making the chapel the primary logo. Doesn't really make sense to make a religious symbol your primary logo if a great deal of students could care less about religious affiliations.

The Lutheran heritage is already a prominent marketing tool for the University. We don't really need to lean into it anymore. We have already tapped into the religious market. What the University needs to do to expand is be more attractive to general academically-inclined students. We need to be siphoning kids from the Indiana schools and other Midwest universities, not just religious kids. The religious nature of the University is always going to be a differentiating factor and always be present. However, making religion the primary focus of the University is only going to push away the people we want to attract.

Think about it – Baylor and BYU are some of the most religious universities in the country. And they do not use religious symbolism in logos. Same with many other prominent religious institutions.

The last thing you want is someone having to ask "do I have to be religious to go there?", As soon as that happens, you are wiping out at least 35% of your applicant pool. Let's learn from these major universities. We can come up with another great logo without a chapel.

While I agree that we need to be attracting students from various walks of life, we do need to maintain our focus on being a Lutheran institution.  Kids from day one have asked "do I have to be religious or do I need to take classes in Lutheranism".  Does Notre Dame shy away from their founding?  We walk a precarious line.  I only caution what OP said many years ago.  Without the cross we become just another Butler (he actually used a different university but some won't understand the context so I'll leave it at "Butler")

I'm not saying we should completely abandon the religious aspects of the University. You're right, that would be a mistake. I'm just saying that we should not make it the primary focus. There is Notre Dame, but they are really the only university that throws religion in the forefront (and probably BYU as well to some extent). But even religious schools like BYU, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Georgetown, etc. don't use religious symbolism in their primary logos.

Some kids may ask if you have to take Lutheran classes, but you would be surprised how many students don't even know the school is Lutheran until they arrive on campus. Back in the day, at my orientation, 3 of the 4 other students in my group were stunned that the University had a requirement to take some form of religious class. For a great deal of students who currently apply, the Lutheran heritage is an afterthought. So, I think all of us can agree, we need to do a better job of marketing to all walks of life (as you say). I just don't think you can do that if your primary logo is religious.

[covufan]

I'm okay with the architectural feature in the logo. Much like the Catholic school down the road a bit that uses the golden dome, their most significant architectural feature.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mp91]

I'm okay with the architectural feature in the logo. Much like the Catholic school down the road a bit that uses the golden dome, their most significant architectural feature.


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I'm fine with using an architectural feature in theory. But, let's be honest, this is not nearly as famous as the golden dome. Also, notably, the dome is not a religious building. That's the primary point I was going for, even a religious school like Notre Dame doesn't make a religious building the primary logo (even though the Notre Dame Cathedral/Chapel is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the entire state).

[valpopal]

I'm okay with the architectural feature in the logo. Much like the Catholic school down the road a bit that uses the golden dome, their most significant architectural feature.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm fine with using an architectural feature in theory. But, let's be honest, this is not nearly as famous as the golden dome. Also, notably, the dome is not a religious building. That's the primary point I was going for, even a religious school like Notre Dame doesn't make a religious building the primary logo (even though the Notre Dame Cathedral/Chapel is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the entire state).

The main feature of the Golden Dome is a nearly 20-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary. I think that qualifies enough as a religious symbol. Plus, the school's name itself means "Our Lady," also significantly religious. Therefore, a Notre Dame logo displaying the school name and the Golden Dome image is totally "religious." Oh, and let's not forget this guy:

[wh]

I'm okay with the architectural feature in the logo. Much like the Catholic school down the road a bit that uses the golden dome, their most significant architectural feature.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm fine with using an architectural feature in theory. But, let's be honest, this is not nearly as famous as the golden dome. Also, notably, the dome is not a religious building. That's the primary point I was going for, even a religious school like Notre Dame doesn't make a religious building the primary logo (even though the Notre Dame Cathedral/Chapel is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the entire state).

The main feature of the Golden Dome is a nearly 20-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary. I think that qualifies enough as a religious symbol. Plus, the school's name itself means "Our Lady," also significantly religious. Therefore, a Notre Dame logo displaying the school name and the Golden Dome image is totally "religious." Oh, and let's not forget this guy:

While we're at it, let's add Touchdown Jesus and Notre Dame Our Mother (composed in honor of Mary, Jesus' mother) sung by the students, fans, and team huddled together after every home football game, at least 1 crucifix in every building on campus, and a host of other highly offensive, completely exclusive symbols specifically designed to hurt the feelings of every Athiest, Satanist, Marxist, and Muslim professor on campus.

[DuneHwx]

It isn't, but using it in branding would be a good start. In the realm of making the most of what you've got, highlighting the architecture of the chapel seems like a smart move. It's the most distinctive physical part of campus.

[mp91]

I'm okay with the architectural feature in the logo. Much like the Catholic school down the road a bit that uses the golden dome, their most significant architectural feature.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm fine with using an architectural feature in theory. But, let's be honest, this is not nearly as famous as the golden dome. Also, notably, the dome is not a religious building. That's the primary point I was going for, even a religious school like Notre Dame doesn't make a religious building the primary logo (even though the Notre Dame Cathedral/Chapel is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the entire state).

The main feature of the Golden Dome is a nearly 20-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary. I think that qualifies enough as a religious symbol. Plus, the school's name itself means "Our Lady," also significantly religious. Therefore, a Notre Dame logo displaying the school name and the Golden Dome image is totally "religious." Oh, and let's not forget this guy:

Touchdown Jesus is not the school's primary logo. Similarly, they use the dome in marketing, not the statue on top. Most people probably don't even know what the statue on top of the dome is.

More importantly, Valpo is not Notre Dame. This is the primary point I have been trying to make. Valpo is trying to attract students and expand. Notre Dame has so many students banging on their doors, they reject thousands each year. They don't have trouble bringing in diverse talent; therefore, they can afford to lean into their religious symbolism.

Once Valpo becomes an internationally known name like Notre Dame, we can use all the religious symbolism we want. Or, if you want the University to go super niche, then lean into the religious logos. But, if you want to expand and appeal to all walks of life (like the University claims), using religious logos is not in the best interest.

[valpopal]

...they use the dome in marketing, not the statue on top. Most people probably don't even know what the statue on top of the dome is.

Go to Notre Dame's official brand marketing page and check for yourself. You will see the statue is prominent and even featured as a symbol of "unwavering values": https://marcomm.nd.edu/the-brand/

[Chairback]

Would you say in Valpo's heyday that the religious aspect it was known for attracted students?   When I was there in the 90s the religious aspect very much a main part of campus culture.  And I loved it.

To me it's not the religious side or emphasis not bringing or attracting students, it's the price vs the value you get now.   It used to be very competitive to get in or at least to get scholarship money.  Now if you pay you are accepted easily.  Rankings have dropped.  Leadership is crap.  This is the reason why attendance is low. 

There has not been a good academic leader since Harre.

Valpo is not ND. No sh**, most schools  are not.  The comment makes no sense.