By Katie Sanchez, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Starting this fall, Musketeers may notice new designs and hints of color in Xavier’s branding and marketing materials. These updates align with Xavier’s recently-announced strategic plan and include incorporating the symbol “+X” and new accent colors into existing branding.
The new strategic plan, announced last month, is titled “Xavier 200: The Greater. The Better. The More.” and outlines a set of goals for the university to complete by Xavier’s 200th anniversary in 2031. The plan emphasizes four Jesuit values: cura studiorum, cura personalis, cura propia and cura apostolica.
“Our question is: What more can we offer here at Xavier to continue to take Xavier to the next level?” Xavier Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Doug Ruschman said. Ruschman, in collaboration with the Office of the President, has overseen the branding and marketing changes that are part of the “Xavier 200” plan.
In line with the strategic plan, the “+X” symbol, meaning “more Xavier” will be incorporated into Xavier’s marketing materials.
Ruschman said the idea for this symbol came from the focus groups that were consulted during the creation of the strategic plan.
“What we took away from (focus group sessions) is that students were getting more out of their Xavier experience than they thought they possibly would… so for us the challenge and the opportunity is to tell the fuller story of each one of our students,” Ruschman said.
The “+X” symbol will not replace the current “X” that is Xavier’s current university and athletic logo. That X will remain Xavier’s primary logo, while the “+X” will be seen primarily in marketing campaigns.
Along with the new symbol, the addition of a lighter royal blue and a bright gold to Xavier’s color palette will begin to be seen around campus in the coming months.
The royal blue is already used in some Xavier merchandising and branding — the color has been dubbed “Running Man Blue” due to its common use in conjunction with the classic logo of the Musketeer running with a basketball. Running Man Blue has roots in Xavier branding campaigns of decades past and was also seen on retro Xavier men’s basketball jerseys worn this season against the Connecticut Huskies on Jan. 25.
Running Man Blue will not replace the existing Xavier navy as the primary branding color, but will instead receive new emphasis as an accent color complementing that navy. A bright gold, another retro Xavier color, will also be seen accenting these other colors. Ruschman commented on the confusion that arose among students and community members wondering if these colors would replace or merely complement existing colors.
The confusion arose from promotional materials and the website for the Xavier 200 plan, which prominently feature Running Man Blue and gold.
“We probably went a little extra and over the top on those things just to make sure that they stuck out a little bit more and people knew it was something new and fresh and different,” Ruschman said, confirming that Xavier’s navy and silver will not be disappearing. “At our core, Xavier’s brand is going to remain the same.”
The Office of Marketing and Communications anticipates these visual aspects of the strategic plan, including new merchandise that utilizes the updated color palette, to be seen by the fall semester.