George Mason University Completes Long-Term Rebrand With New Logo

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Apr 25, 2024, 09:30 ET

— Symbolizing a New Era of Excellence and Accessibility of a Modern University —
—New unified look for the University and its Athletics Program—

FAIRFAX, Va., April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- George Mason University unveiled a completely redesigned logo as the capstone of its three-year-long, comprehensive rebrand. The new look, which will include a single logo for the university and its athletics program, asserts George Mason's emerging identity as a national top 50 public university and Virginia's top-ranked university for innovation and upward mobility, as well as the commonwealth's largest, most innovative, and most diverse university.

The ongoing rebrand signals George Mason's convention-defying rise to become a leading national public research university by expanding access to excellence through an unwavering commitment to inclusive innovation. The rebrand rollout began in 2021, with preparations to mark 50 years of George Mason as a university in 2022 with updated brand narrative that proclaims the university's distinct approach to education as All Together Different. The logo system now matches this brand language.

"Higher education in America is at an inflection point, with families having a harder time finding a top-quality, affordable college education at a university that will actually admit them," said George Mason President Gregory Washington. "George Mason has always offered these things, but few families know of this value because our brand and message have not been adequately heard. This new look is our reintroduction to the community, and a symbol of our commitment to the fundamentals: outstanding and rigorous academics, pragmatic career preparation and internships, flexibility and value, and an atmosphere of belonging for everyone."

George Mason has grown from a small regional college in the 1970s into the youngest institution ever to earn Carnegie Tier 1 research university status, as well as Virginia's top-ranked university for such high-demand and varied disciplines as cybersecurity, business entrepreneurship, homeland security, criminology, and forensic sciences. It also established Virginia's first School of Computing in 2021 and its first College of Public Health in 2023.

"Our new brand crystallizes our identity as a great equalizer—a university committed to inclusive acceptance over exclusive status, and the promise of broad access to a top 50 university experience," Washington said. "We take great pride in opening our doors wider the higher we climb in prestige. That's what we mean by All Together Different."

"George Mason has always boxed above its weight in Northern Virginia and D.C., and it needs an identity system to compete in the most competitive higher education market in the nation," said Horace Blackman, rector of George Mason's Board of Visitors. "This identity system brings George Mason shoulder-to-shoulder with leading brands in higher education."

The new look also fixes several operational challenges with the existing logo system, and visuals that were difficult to maintain consistently across the university's complex academic environment. All university units will now use a single, streamlined logo system.

"I am thrilled that George Mason Athletics will lead the charge to a unified look that reflects the modern character of this great university," said Marvin Lewis, assistant vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "George Mason Athletics develops true scholar-athletes and serves as the front porch of the university, so it's important to promote one consistent identity to unify our community."

Input gathered from faculty and staff, students, parents, alumni, donors, and community leaders confirmed that George Mason is "All Together Different," and in need of a new logo system to unify the community. The new look features clean lines and open ends, symbolizing multiple entry points and pathways to success. An interior gold shape hugged by green on both sides depicts the university's signature diversity and inclusivity. The clean lines represent the university's efficiency and pragmatism.

The familiar green and gold color palette remains, paying homage to the university's origins, as those school colors were voted on by students in the late 1960s. However, bolder shades will be adopted to signify its confidence as a rising national leader.

The "GM" monogram distinguishes the university as the world's only university to use those initials in its logo and recognizes that the broader community commonly refers to the university as "George Mason," not just "Mason" and no longer "GMU."

"This is a new look for a new era with new expectations of American higher education," said Paul Allvin, vice president and chief brand officer at George Mason. "The rebrand reintroduces Mason as elite yet never elitist, prestigious yet eminently accessible, confident in blazing a fundamentally new path for public higher education in the 21st century and beyond."

The change to the new look is planned to happen over time and is being accomplished without additional university spending. Over the next two years, assets that can be converted at no cost, like digital displays, will be converted first, followed by branded materials that naturally run out periodically and are already budgeted for replacement. Durable assets including external signage will be paid for by reallocation of existing budgets within the Office of University Branding.

Full resolution photography and graphics are available here: https://go.gmu.edu/presskit2404

About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

SOURCE George Mason University