Check out this AMAZING Cyclone "tornado" logo concept

[Kagavi]

just to give you an idea of what other big12 schools have as their primary and secondary logos to date. half of these are nowhere to be found in public and im willing to bet some of you didnt even know some of these existed.

Also, I want to highlight that out of all 10 schools in the Big 12, only Iowa State does NOT have a logo representing their actual school nickname. All other schools seen above have a graphical representation of their nickname--even Oklahoma. It's a HUGE HOLE in the current graphic identity.

 

[weR138]

just to give you an idea of what other big12 schools have as their primary and secondary logos to date. half of these are nowhere to be found in public and im willing to bet some of you didnt even know some of these existed.

lol @ TCU air quotes. We can better than these chumps; I-STATE, Tornado, Walking Cy...done.

 

[jbhtexas]

Also, I want to highlight that out of all 10 schools in the Big 12, only Iowa State does NOT have a logo representing their actual school nickname. All other schools seen above have a graphical representation of their nickname--even Oklahoma. It's a HUGE HOLE in the current graphic identity.

Can you provide some documentation on how this "HUGE HOLE" is in anyway hurting ISU athletics?

 

[amestoplease]

So I wonder what the point was of developing a secondary mark if it is ultimately nowhere to be found in public? Just to say you have one?

well if your school has a crappy secondary mark, you wouldnt want to use it. but itd be nice to have an optional/alternative/supplemental mark if you ask me. plenty of schools have a secondary mark as recognizable as their primary mark. we are not one of them. thats the point.

 

[amestoplease]

Can you provide some documentation on how this "HUGE HOLE" is in anyway hurting ISU athletics?

probably similar to the documentation that you have that shows how its helping, i would guess.

 

[JSmoove]

Can you provide some documentation on how this "HUGE HOLE" is in anyway hurting ISU athletics?

You have got to be arguing for arguing's sake because if you can't figured out what they are getting at in the previous 6 pages than god help you.

 

[jbhtexas]

probably similar to the documentation that you have that shows how its helping, i would guess.

Huh?

ISU isn't UT with a $160 million athletic budget. Before a bunch of money is stuck into developing a new "nickname" logo, there should probably be some evidence that it is needed and will have a positive net effect on cash flow and the AD.

 

[andybernard]

Ya ever wonder if Miami fans have the same discussions? Team name: also a weather phenomenon. Team mascot: also a bird.

What the heck is that 2nd logo??

I'm pretty sure that's a speedboat.

 

[andybernard]

Just a heads up, the Scheels at Jordan Creek has vintage cardinal, gold, and charcoal shirts with the tornado logo on it. I bought one of each last weekend.

Pictures would be great!

 

[Kagavi]

ISU isn't UT with a $160 million athletic budget. Before a bunch of money is stuck into developing a new "nickname" logo, there should probably be some evidence that it is needed and will have a positive net effect on cash flow and the AD.

Exactly. We are not Texas. We have to innovate. We will never have tradition in many of the primary sports, so the next best thing is to have a killer look right now. As one of the smallest P5 Athletic Departments revenue-wise in the entire country, perpetually flirting with the last slot, an uninspiring logo collection doesn't help pull in more revenue from licensing royalties. More options = more money = more revenue, and the good news is that a Cyclone logo addition in no way dilutes the current logo identity.

Personally, I don't own any new I-STATE gear, because it's all the same. The rigid current scheme could use another option or two. If this logo was part of the current package, I would buy a lot more ISU gear than I currently do right now (which is zero), which would then filter back to the athletic department in the form of increased revenue.

Similar to having football uniforms nearly identical with USC. How does that help build our own unique brand? We are kind of stuck with the I-STATE on the football helmet, which doesn't work well--too muddled from a distance, simply because there are no other options.

Do you realize the current ISU basketball uniforms have been using a portion of the old "twister Cy" logo on the back uniform panel, even though this is NOT a part of the current identity package? Due to the lack of a current Cyclone logo, the Athletic Department had to pull out the '90s logo to fit a current need. Is this not a problem?

The I-STATE logo is a solid, sturdy logo and I hope it stays around a long time, but it will never be an instantly recognizable, cool, and beautifully designed logo. Never underestimate the impact of an iconic logo. With so many schools similar across the country, lots of times, it can come down to the simple optics of whether a school is cool or not.

It's also sloppy brand messaging to simply not have a way to show we are the Iowa State CYCLONES. It's not a silly nickname, it has been with us for 120 years. Time to embrace that!

 

[cyhiphopp]

Huh?

ISU isn't UT with a $160 million athletic budget. Before a bunch of money is stuck into developing a new "nickname" logo, there should probably be some evidence that it is needed and will have a positive net effect on cash flow and the AD.

I'm ****** that they spent money on this ****in crap:

 

[jbhtexas]

Personally, I don't own any new I-STATE gear, because it's all the same. The rigid current scheme could use another option or two. If this logo was part of the current package, I would buy a lot more ISU gear than I currently do right now (which is zero), which would then filter back to the athletic department in the form of increased revenue.

My wife is a born and raised Sooner fan, and she has a bunch of I-STATE stuff now (she likes the logo), so perhaps she has offset you. It would be interesting to know if other fans are boycotting merchandise strictly on the basis of not liking the logo. Judging by what I see at the games I can attend, it would seem that not many are. However, if a number of people are boycotting merchandise, then that would certainly be an issue.

Do you realize the current ISU basketball uniforms have been using a portion of the old "twister Cy" logo on the back uniform panel, even though this is NOT a part of the current identity package? Due to the lack of a current Cyclone logo, the Athletic Department had to pull out the '90s logo to fit a current need. Is this not a problem?

Is that really a need, or just a preference?

The I-STATE logo is a solid, sturdy logo and I hope it stays around a long time, but it will never be an instantly recognizable, cool, and beautifully designed logo.

I guess we will just have to disagree on these things. As a number of us have already mentioned, I-STATE seems to be doing just fine in the recognition department. Again, if there is marketing data showing that the current mark set is falling short in the name recognition area or in other areas as you suggest, then perhaps something needs to be done.

 

[jbhtexas]

I'm ****** that they spent money on this ****in crap:

Well...I guess the standard response would be to email JP...

 

[StClone]

How about a "Cyclone" like the above with some obvious changes.

 

[wonkadog]

...I guess we will just have to disagree on these things. As a number of us have already mentioned, I-STATE seems to be doing just fine in the recognition department. Again, if there is marketing data showing that the current mark set is falling short in the name recognition area or in other areas as you suggest, then perhaps something needs to be done.

For 95th time, the majority of us that want this "tornado" logo aren't saying that current, boring, I-State mark is not doing its job. We just also want a simple, recognizable symbol that ties into our really cool nickname to go along with it.

 

[amestoplease]

My wife is a born and raised Sooner fan, and she has a bunch of I-STATE stuff now (she likes the logo), so perhaps she has offset you. It would be interesting to know if other fans are boycotting merchandise strictly on the basis of not liking the logo. Judging by what I see at the games I can attend, it would seem that not many are. However, if a number of people are boycotting merchandise, then that would certainly be an issue.



Is that really a need, or just a preference?



I guess we will just have to disagree on these things. As a number of us have already mentioned, I-STATE seems to be doing just fine in the recognition department. Again, if there is marketing data showing that the current mark set is falling short in the name recognition area or in other areas as you suggest, then perhaps something needs to be done.

naming one fan (your wife) that likes it is hardly a measuring stick as im sure you could even find someone who only buys charlotte bobcats gear for the design. a lot of fans DO prefer something other than the I-STATE mark and thats the reason why the vintage logos are so popular. there seems to be more demand for apparel with vintage marks which is probably why they now have a separate license for them.

again, there is not really a way for you to know if we are doing poorly in the recognition department so that part of the argument is dead on both sides. what we can point to is the fact that we are in the minority when it comes to what most everyone else is doing and that seems problematic, especially in the era where (silly as it may be) your identity and look can be the difference in getting the attention of recruits. our identity is in competition with opposing schools and were not doing much to stand out. and before you tell me about texas and ou and blah blah blah having the most simple brand, dont forget about tradition being able to sell a program. we dont have that kind of tradition so, like kagavi said, we have to get creative. id love to see your ideas rather than just trying to pick a fight.

 

[jbhtexas]

For 95th time, the majority of us that want this "tornado" logo aren't saying that current, boring, I-State mark is not doing its job. We just also want a simple, recognizable symbol that ties into our really cool nickname to go along with it.

And for about the 3rd time, in order to get your new tornado logo implemented by the AD, someone is going to have to eventually show that the expense of creating this logo and all the expenses that go along with implementing a new mark are financially justifiable for the AD. IMO, Kagavi's opinions, while interesting, don't satisfy that requirement.

Perhaps you think that the AD is just going to fork over the money because you want it. It might work that way, but I don't think so.

 

[amestoplease]

And for about the 3rd time, in order to get your new tornado logo implemented by the AD, someone is going to have to eventually show that the expense of creating this logo and all the expenses that go along with implementing a new mark are financially justifiable for the AD. IMO, Kagavi's opinions, while interesting, don't satisfy that requirement.

Perhaps you think that the AD is just going to fork over the money because you want it. It might work that way, but I don't think so.

i would just trade them straight up for student loan forgiveness.

 

[jbhtexas]

id love to see your ideas rather than just trying to pick a fight.

I think the existing marking package is fine. Apparently the AD does as well. Unless they are working behind the scenes on something new that we don't know about. I don't know. Maybe you do.

Assuming for now that the AD thinks the existing package is fine, if you want something different or added to the package, you are going to have to show why this something new is needed, and justify it financially. That's the way business works.

You seem to be working under the assumption that ISU needs additional marks. That's fine, but if the AD doesn't hold that position, you can design new marks until you drop dead...it won't matter until you can convince the AD that new marks are needed.

What other schools do is irrelevant. The AD's marketing people need to figure out what will work for ISU, and that may or may not be the same as what other schools do.

 

[Kagavi]

And for about the 3rd time, in order to get your new tornado logo implemented by the AD, someone is going to have to eventually show that the expense of creating this logo and all the expenses that go along with implementing a new mark are financially justifiable for the AD. IMO, Kagavi's opinions, while interesting, don't satisfy that requirement.

Perhaps you think that the AD is just going to fork over the money because you want it. It might work that way, but I don't think so.

Thanks for your thoughts. Quite simply, let's say just 50,000 people buy one shirt valued at $20 on average with the new Cyclone logo. This could happen in a year, or a few years.

50,000 people x $20 = $1,000,000. With the royalty stream coming back to ISU in that scenario, ISU has already made a profit of about $100,000. Purely on a monetary basis, your obligation has been satisfied, not to mention the immeasurable other benefits. There's a reason teams constantly update their logos to push merchandising sales.