In just 54 years, Nova Southeastern University has evolved from a 17-student storefront to a 21,000-student academic powerhouse. As of recently, NSU has been celebrated for its distinguished graduate school, but they were striving to increase undergraduate enrollment.
They knew it was time to evolve the brand.
They knew it was time to evolve the brand.
For NSU's brand to be successful, their positioning needed to be unique, inspiring, and true. So, we embarked on a strategic process that involved a deep dive into the minds of their most important audiences, from students to faculty to alumni. We analyzed these findings to arrive at a clear positioning that'll represent NSU for years to come:
When it came time to launch the new brand, it was clear that their mascot, The Mako Shark, would be the centerpiece because it embodies the advantages of an NSU student; it's fast, strong, smart, and incapable of going backwards-an unstoppable force of nature.
For the logo, our challenge was to incorporate the shark identity, but still keep it serious, and fitting for a prestigious university. We found that the negative space in the "N" was the natural place to insert a shark fin in a sophisticated way.
