Seems Everyone Has An Opinion on Western’s ‘W’ Branding Choice

This story isn't going away, and maybe, in fact, probably, it's much ado about nothing, but Western Michigan University's new logo slash branding seems to be rubbing some the wrong way.

The new logos are above. The "W" is the logo for the scripted, italicized school name. Maybe it's because I follow to many accounts on Twitter that obsess over sports uniforms and logos that I'm starting to think maybe this was a mistake. That and the fact the school spent some five hundred thousand dollars on this project. At a time when the Covid pandemic was forcing serious budget cuts, you are spending how much on this?

WWMT says two people with a "horse in the race" if you'll excuse that expression, have voiced their "concerns" Former Bronco star quarterback Zach Terrell is upset about it. And one of the faculty labor negotiators, Dr. Cathryn Bailey, is quoted from an email saying "Our members, the faculty of WMU, are always concerned about ensuring that investment in WMU’s core academic mission comes first — rather than cosmetic 'bells and whistles.”

The university's point person in this project-turned-battle, Tony Proudfoot, counters with the new logo will return money and investment to the university. This is where I get a little confused. How many investment decisions are made based on a logo? If WMU's logo said IBM, AT&T or GM, sure, but I can't believe important business and education executives are going to base a decision on a what the school calls a pretty new logo.

And here's one more thing. Someone's got to say it. The new logo is ugly. The designers took the black edging off the "W". Now it's just brown and gold. The black gave it class and strength. Now it's brown and gold, and the font is friendly. Maybe this generation of kids wants warm and cuddly, but the former logo projected strength,boldness and leadership. It screamed "We're Western Michigan University and you're not." It doesn't anymore.

Get our free mobile app

;