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What happens when a 125-year-old university discovers it has 200 logos, and then has to fix it?
That’s exactly the situation Barth Hague walked into as Chief Marketing Officer at Wichita State University. What started as a quiet observation—why does the logo on the basketball court look nothing like the one on a diploma?—turned into one of the most consequential rebranding projects in the university’s history. We talk through the politics, the pushback, the stakeholder meetings, and ultimately a logo that ended up on national television during a Final Four run worth over a billion dollars in free advertising.
Episode Highlights
- Wichita State had two primary logos and over 200 variations — each college and department had developed its own mark over 125 years
- The tipping point: Barth noticed the athletics WSU logo on the Koch Arena floor didn’t match the university’s academic logo — and a VP’s warning look only made him more determined to change it
- The Shockers’ rising success on CBS Sports and ESPN made the brand inconsistency an expensive missed opportunity
- President Don Beggs provided crucial top-down support, understanding both the marketing opportunity and the need to unify a fragmented campus identity
- Three universal objections to rebranding: (1) you’re taking something precious from me, (2) you’re making me change my letterhead margins, and (3) what does this even mean?
- Dean Fox from the College of Health delivered an emotional argument for keeping the wheat — rooted in the story of immigrant settlers, Fairmount College’s history, and Kansas identity
- The new logo went on to be seen nationally during the Shockers’ Final Four appearance, delivering advertising value the university could never have afforded otherwise
- Barth’s core marketing principle: even a poor logo design can succeed with consistent application — but the best design will fail without it
0:00 — Logo Hoard Problem
0:58 — Meet Barth Haeg
1:56 — Why Rebrand Again
3:31 — Two Logos Become 200
4:16 — Athletics Exposure Opportunity
4:43 — Aligning Academic and Sports Marks
6:18 — Leadership Buy-In
7:48 — Stakeholder Meetings Reality Check
8:23 — Three Common Objections
10:06 — Keep the Wheat Story
11:26 — Listening Into a Solution
11:49 — Rollout and Lasting Consistency
13:30 — Consistency Beats Great Design
14:08 — Closing Thanks
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Further Reference
- Wichita State University identity design and wayfinding system work by Gardner Design
- Wichita State University Rhatigan Student Center environmental graphics work by Gardner Design
About Gardner Design
Brandifesto is brought to you by Gardner Design. Since our founding in 1983, Gardner Design has produced effective and award-winning designs and results for many industry leaders.
Our designs and brand influence can be found in well-known brands including Facebook, Spirit AeroSystems, Cessna Aircraft Company, Kroger, Koch Industries, Cargill and hundreds more.
Regardless of size or industry, we get fired up about helping you reach new heights. Because we see it every day—better branding leads to a better future.
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