The Logo Was Part of an Elaborate and Now-Disappeared “Branding” Program at UC
Above is the screenshot – taken today – of the video used to introduce the new and now-“suspended” UC logo. It’s an official video on the UC YouTube channel “UCofficeofpresident” http://www.youtube.com/UCofficeofpresident. The video there is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt-hO-y4PhA. In case it disappears – see below on things that seem to be disappearing – we have preserved it as part of our earlier posting at: http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2012/12/who-needs-light-anyway-or-gravitas.html
Since the text below the video is not clear from the screenshot, here is the text that appears underneath it:
Published on Nov 14, 2012
This video explains the genesis of the University of California systemwide logo. It’s part of a broader initiative— the first in its 143-year history — to articulate a comprehensive visual identity for the UC system. It’s Boldly Californian. For more information, go to: http://brand.universityofcalifornia.edu/
There is also the same video on Vimeo with the same message:
http://vimeo.com/53530934#at=0
If you click directly on the brand.university… link as of today, however, it just takes you to the general UC website: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/. That is, the webpage “brand.university…” seems to have disappeared. The “wayback machine” at archive.org (which re-creates the web as it was in the past) doesn’t find it, perhaps because brand.university… was a recent creation. However, if you type the address into Google’s search engine, the cache captures some of it:
The University of Transformation
Pioneering. Curious. Vibrant. Thoughtful. Even beautiful. The University of California is located wherever a UC mind is at work. At any given moment, people in the UC community are exploring, creating and advancing our shared experience of life in California and beyond.
These guidelines ensure we express these shared values with every communication. In short, this site helps us all “Speak UC.”
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Primary colors
Color is a critical institutional identifier. Blue and gold, used by all 10 campuses, comprise the unifying brand element across the system.
For systemwide communications, the University of California’s primary colors are Pantone 299 (blue) and Pantone 116 (gold). Secondary blues and golds allow greater flexibility in use while retaining a distinctive systemwide identity. Equivalent formulas for four-color and digital media are noted as well.
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What is a brand?
A brand—our brand—is the intersection of what we say about ourselves, how we act, and what people think of us.
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Types of seals
The official seal of the University of California contains the words “Seal of the University of California.” Its use is restricted by the Regents of the University of California.
The unofficial seal of the University
of California contains the words “the University of California,” and can be used with permission from Communications.
of California contains the words “the University of California,” and can be used with permission from Communications.
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The brand.university… page also lives on in a link on Pinterest, a photo-sharing website:
Apparently, there were going to be UC buttons with the now-suspended logo:
Although it was said that the new logo was just for the web (because small images of the old logo on the web couldn’t be seen well), Pinterest has an image of a UC truck with giant new logos on the side:
In short, the new logo was part of a much larger program which someone now would like to disappear. However, nothing ever completely disappears from the web. Yours truly advises the powers-that-be at UC to restore the brand.university… link. Then we can have a conversation about priorities.