The Final Moment of Defeat for the New USF Logo

Back in April, we discussed the USF logo debacle and what could be learned from the ordeal. In short, the University of South Florida unveiled a new logo to the shock and displeasure of students and alumni. Immediate reactions over the cost of the logo and the lack of student and alumni involvement foreshadowed a short lifespan for the new, lime-green logo. The cost of the logo was exorbitant, and the marketing campaign as a whole—created by local agency Spark Media—totaled $200,000. When petitions circulated demanding that the new logo be revised, Spark spent 47 hours making minute changes to the logo and charged an additional $8,000 for the revisions. At this point, the student body was in full protest.

Source: Tampa Bay times

Replacing New with Old

In May, USF made the decision to abandon the new logo. The cost of the failed rebrand? Around $1,000,000 according to USF Chief Marketing Officer, Joe Hice. The new logo lasted for eight tumultuous months before being retired. In its place, the school adopted the 15-year-old athletic Bull U logo.

The decision to revert back to the Bull U logo meant that the 2,500-pound signs designed for the brand new Morsani College of Medicine building would need to be removed and replaced. Creating the now obsolete signs came at a hefty price; each 24’ x 12’ sign cost the university $100,000 plus $25,000 for installation. Not only will the school not get back the sunk cost of the new signs, but they will also need to spend even more money to replace them.

Thankfully, the work to replace the signage on the Morsani College of Medicine building began at the end of September. By the end of this year, the sign on the south side of the building will also be replaced, and it will mark the final moment of defeat for the scorned, lime-green bull logo. If there is one big takeaway from this rebrand fail, it’s that sometimes, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Take a close look around you at the resources you already have and what’s already working. What you’re looking for might just be right under your nose!

About Kara Franco
Kara writes copy that speaks. She has a knack for creating clear, compelling messages without wasting words. She is passionate about digital marketing and believes that copy is the cornerstone of user experience.

Copywriter + Content Strategist
Kara@diacedesigns.com