Petition Launched Against New $128K Penn State Logo

Penn State announced a “re-branding” of their official school logo on Tuesday, and some students and alumni are not happy about it.

In fact, they don’t want the new logo to go into effect at all.

The new logo features the head and neck of the lion on a shield, beside the words “Penn State.” The old logo had the year 1855 written upon it, and Penn State was written in a different font.

As of Wednesday afternoon, over 700 people had signed an online petition to restore the university’s original logo.

They felt that the new logo failed to capture the essence of the school.

“We understand an updated logo is needed to translate better for today’s digital world, but the new logo fails to capture Penn State’s traditional colors, prestigious feel and iconic lion,” writes Doug Albert in the petition’s introduction. “Our original logo symbolizes a brand that thousands of students and alumni rallied around during trying times--that logo made us feel Penn State Proud. The new logo does not represent our heritage in the same way.”

A poll, run by The Daily Collegian, Penn State’s independent student-run newspaper, found that over 84 percent of responders did not like the new logo.

Those that signed the petition also expressed concerns about the amount of money that was spent on a project that allegedly did not ask for feedback from students or alumni.

“It is unacceptable that the University spent $128,000 while never asking the public opinions of the two most important groups--the students and alumni,” Albert continues. “We ask that the logo is redesigned to better represent our traditional logo and the students and alumni are offered the opportunity to cast our vote.”

Specific criticisms of the logo extended beyond complaints about staying true to the spirit of the school.

“It looks weak,” said Stephanie Ashcraft of Columbus, Ohio, who signed the petition.

“The logo is childish. Lazy. It looks like it was thrown together in five minutes,” said Nicole Burke, of Philadelphia.

In announcing the logo, the university stated that the update was designed to bring Penn State into the digital era.

“The original Penn State mark was developed in the 1980s, long before the digital era,” the university said in a press release. “The refreshed mark is designed to maintain the original mark’s heritage while being more friendly in Web, social media and video applications.”

The university statement also addresses the reason behind the design:

The updated mark focuses on the head and face of the Nittany Lion Shrine in a more contemporary and engaging way, continuing its heritage and providing the same sense of stature as the sculpture. A slight curve at the top of the shield makes it more distinctive, while reflecting the shape of the lion. Additionally, the lion is now positioned to look forward and connect with the Penn State name.

Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.