By Susannah Waite, Editor-in-Chief
Students, faculty and staff will start seeing the new university brand on materials in coming weeks.
The new mark, created for the university by Texas-based Pentagram, looks similar to the logo of Daystar, a Dallas-based television company.
The university launched the new logo, which is an image of a star. There will not be a tagline or slogan, but the word “rise” will be used on occasion.
“We are ready to move ahead as of last week,” said Sandy Pantlik, senior director of university communications. “We began to add the new mark to printed pieces.”
“We have met with Daystar and worked with Pentagram and Daystar,” Pantlik said. “We are not in a competitive arena and so it is not a problem.”
Pentagram did not design Daystar’s logo. Pantlik said the similarities were just a coincidence.
When the similarities were discovered, university officials went to meet with Daystar and visited with a copyright attorney regarding it, Pantlik said.
Previously there were concerns with the concept “Shine On,” which was favored after a Sept. 28 presentation.
More than 30 entities use the “Shine On” slogan, none of them universities. After consideration, many students, faculty and staff voiced concerns about the relation to other advertisements, and officials continued the rebranding process.
The rebranding cost the university $50,000.
University officials are working to integrate the new brand into all marketing materials, including the website, new student orientation materials and on campus.
“There is also a slight change to the blue, it will be less electric,” Pantlik said.
An event scheduled for February to launch the new brand was postponed, and Pantlik said the big push for the new brand is scheduled for Orientation Week in August.
“To be at a point where you will not see the old logo, I’d say will take at least 18 to 24 months,” she said.
Who believes this OCU star logo is proportionally identical to Daystar Television Network’s star logo simply by “coincidence.” Was Daystar compensated in any way by OCU (or its agents) for copying the Daystar logo? Can OCU’s agency, Pentagram, produce its work product for developing this “coincidence” of a star logo? Mock ups? Revisions? Revision notes, drafts, etc.? Notes during development between OCU and Pentagram? Realistically, if you lay these star logos over one another, you’d have to believe in unicorns to believe the similarity is simply a coincidence. If an OCU advertising student developed a “branding” campaign in this manner, OCU would scream “plagiarism” and there would be repercussions.
Dear OCU Parent,
Thank you for your comments. I’m pleased to let you know all of the issues discussed in your email have been addressed. Our marketing and communications team has worked closely with Pentagram throughout this process and all of our questions have been answered. I welcome your phone call or email if you would like to discuss this further.
Best,
Sandy Pantlik
Senior Director of University Communications
Phone: 405-208-5898, slpantlik@okcu.edu