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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- July 10, 2006
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HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Houghton College’s new – and first official -- athletics brand identity made its public debut Friday at the conclusion of the annual Homecoming Campus Store Fashion Show.
The event, which was attended by students, fans, alumni, faculty, and staff,
featured the unveiling of the primary Highlander logo displayed on a large
banner, student-athletes modeling new uniforms and team apparel, merchandise
from the Campus Store, and Houghton President Dan Chamberlain donned in full
Scottish regalia, while waving a five-by-eight-foot logo-emblazoned flag.
The primary Highlander logo features a waving flag above the words “Houghton
Highlanders.” In the center of the flag is a rampant lion similar to what
appears on the Scottish Royal Banner. Secondary marks featuring the college
name and the letters "HC" as well as various combinations of the primary
logo, were also unveiled.
The ceremony marked the culmination of a year-long project by a committee of student-athletes, faculty, staff, coaches, alumni, and student leaders as part of a campus-wide branding initiative. The group addressed a variety of design concepts -- running the ideas by the alumni, students, faculty, and staff – before choosing the final flag design.
“When we first began this process we were looking at the possibility of adopting a new mascot. We surveyed our constituents to see they felt about this. We even ran a contest to solicit student input and ideas,” said athletics director Skip Lord. “The overwhelming response was to keep the Highlander and to keep purple and gold. The problem was that there was no specific purple, gold or rendition of the beloved Highlander, so the committee began to wrestle with how best to address the issue.
“We are really excited about how this came together. We anticipate using students at games dressed in authentic Scottish Highlander garb carrying Houghton’s very own adaptation of the Scottish Royal Banner. We actually envision a time when we will have a campus-wide competition to select a male and female from the student body who represent the characteristics we value to serve as the Highlanders at athletic contests and other special campus events. These could be prestigious positions, possibly even including scholarships, which would help us add to the excitement and atmosphere at home games."
Phoenix Design Works, a design firm out of New York City, created the logo package. Phoenix was chosen based on its broad portfolio of collegiate clients, including the University of Massachusetts, Wake Forest, Illinois, LSU, and Arkansas, among others. They have also worked with a variety of professional sports organizations.
“Phoenix was very patient with us as we went through the entire process. They met with our committee and interviewed us to get a feel for what we were looking for, then they presented several initial concepts before we chose the flag design. Then they worked with us through a number of revisions until they presented the Highlander design and logo package we have today,” said Lord. “We are pleased with the work they did and are excited about incorporating the new look into our marketing efforts.”
Houghton, which instituted intercollegiate athletics in 1967, had never had an official athletics logo. A variety of different designs – most featuring a Scottish man in a kilt carrying a sword or bagpipes – had been used through the years, but no single identity was ever incorporated.
“Houghton College has been wrestling with how to best present ourselves to our different constituencies and to the public in general,” said Lord. “It was important, given the breadth of exposure we receive from our athletic teams, that we have a consistent way of presenting ourselves in that venue as well. When one thinks about some of the things we value – sports ministry, tradition, equal opportunity, and a commitment to excellence – this unique approach to the mascot and logo issue fits perfectly with what we have been doing across the institution as a whole."
The official
Highlander colors remain purple and gold, although the shade of purple has
been darkened to reflect recent changes to the overall college brand and the
gold has been changed from a yellow to a truer shade of gold, similar to
that used by Notre Dame, Boston College, and Florida State. Houghton purple
will be PMS 2695, gold will be PMS 4515. White and a lighter shade of purple
are also used as highlights and borders on the new logos.
A logo usage
guide has been developed by the Office of Athletic Communications to ensure
consistency in the usage and display of the new athletic logos.
The logos have already been incorporated into the uniforms for Highlander
women’s soccer, field hockey, and volleyball, while several other teams have
used them in other team apparel and warm-ups. The remaining Highlander teams
will add the new look to their uniforms as they are purchased in the future.
Plans are in place to add the logo throughout the Houghton Sports Website. The logos can be downloaded online at http://campus.houghton.edu/orgs/athletics/logos/marks.htm
Houghton merchandise featuring the new logos is available at the Campus
Store.
Houghton College has deep and solid roots in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, where our teams use their commitment to excellence, both on the field-of-play and in the classroom, as a platform for their strong and unique emphasis on Sports Ministry. Their goal is to make a difference for the Kingdom on campus, in Allegany County, in the Northeast and around the world. Houghton is one of only 13 institutions who have been hand-selected by the NAIA to serve as "Champions of Character" Program Centers, opening the door for Houghton to be a leader, both in the Northeast and nationally, in character education. Through hands-on, innovative community outreach initiatives, Houghton coaches and student-athletes are working together to change the culture of sport and to change our culture through sport.
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