Heath Hutcheson, Campus Carrier staff writer

On April 19, Berry announced in an email to students that the Athletic Department would receive a visual rebrand. This rebrand would include an overhaul of the fonts used on athletic uniforms, and a new logo in place of the current Viking head.

The Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Nancy Rewis, and the Director of Creative Services, Shannon Biggers, have both played major roles in the rebranding. Their team noticed that Berry’s athletic uniforms were particularly inconsistent in their typography, so the font change was primarily made to address that.

“As we looked at our team uniforms collectively, we realized that we didn’t really have a cohesive brand, and we wanted to figure out how to bring unity to them,” Biggers said.

Director of Athletics Angel Mason has also commented on the previous inconsistencies on athletic wear in the past.

“We’ve had a superstar B, which is generic to most vendors, very linear and thin B’s, and people have changed the B based on what they’re putting it on as well as their own personal appeal to it, so I think it’s nice to stand under one solidified B that is unique to us,” Mason said.

The roll out of this new visual overhaul can now be seen on campus in a few places. Starting next semester, it will be integrated into the uniforms.

“You will start seeing parts of it this fall. At the back of Valhalla, you’ll see the big B in the shield, and above Valhalla’s press box you’ll see the new typography of Berry Vikings,” Mason said. “You won’t be seeing any uniforms with it until the Spring because they’re ordered a year out.”

Time has also played a large factor in this, with an athletic rebrand having been discussed since 2019. The marketing team believes that nearly three decades is long enough of a hiatus for a new design.

“This is also the first time that there has been a new identity introduced for athletics since 1997,” Rewis said. “Typically you go through a visual identity refresh every five to ten years, so I think we were kind of overdue to go through this process.”

While reactions were initially quite mixed, Rewis believes that the public opinion has gradually swayed to be more accepting of the changes taking place.

“Since April, I think the overall response has moved in a very positive way as students, faculty and staff have begun to embrace this new B in the shield as the primary mark,” Rewis said. “I think it’s yet to be determined, however, about the secondary mark until we share some of those concepts and really socialize it with the campus.”

The Viking head logo, or “the secondary mark,” has brought the most discussion and controversy among students. The team decided to convert the head into something more neutral.

“We really wanted to have a brand identity that was inclusive of both the men’s and women’s teams and move away from the personification,” Rewis said.

This whole process is far from finished, as the Viking logo has yet to be replaced. Even once it is, renovations will have to be made across campus to update everything to the new look. 

“This is going to be a multi-year rollout, so it will take time for facilities like Valhalla and the Cage to get updated. I think that’s a couple years out,” Rewis said.

Angel Mason is excited about the potential of the second logo and how that can allow for new and fun opportunities in designing athletic wear and other products.

“When we eventually get that second logo for athletics, it will give us something to use and play with, whether that be bags, t-shirts or travel suits,” Mason said.

The process seems to be in a good spot currently, and the marketing team should have more information to provide on the subject soon.

“We’ve conducted several focus groups, with students, coaches and student athletes,” Rewis said. “After this next round of focus groups, I feel like we will have a really good update that we can share with the campus, likely within the next week or two.”