Duquesne University Athletics

Below: Before and After Images in Slide Show, Summary, Credits

Duquesne University Athletics is a member of the highly competitive NCAA Division I program (National Collegiate Athletic Association). To stand out from competitors, they unveiled a new, revolutionary brand identity.

Duquesne University Athletics sought to overhaul their entire identity system in order to elevate the school’s athletic program. The existing identity suite was dated, and the primary ‘D’ mark often mistaken for Major League baseball’s Detroit Tigers logo. As a whole, the identity system did not accurately represent the athletic program’s goals, student athletes or fan community.

Duquesne tasked ChangeUp with developing an identity system that would be a symbol of pride for the University, its athletes and fans, and lean into the next era of the athletics program’s success.

ChangeUp conducted focus groups and interviews with leaders of the athletics program, the student body, and Nike, the Dukes’ athletic apparel provider. The insights gathered during these conversations ensured ChangeUp was able to capture the heart and soul of the University and its Athletic community.

A benchmark audit of other athletic programs around the world set the bar for success. ChangeUp pushed to think of this endeavor being about more than the logo on a jersey, but rather a lifestyle brand that extends beyond the court or field.

The new look of the Duquesne Dukes is still rolling out, but the response from the athletes and fans have already been loud and proud! Within a day of sharing the new brand identity on social media, Duquesne saw phenomenal results, with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram’s engagement rates increasing by 600%, 500%, and 160% respectively.

Online design critic blog, BrandNew, an online corporate and brand identity design critic, noted, “It’s (a) very well done…college sports identity, but with a unique point of view to make it more interesting than the rest.”