Brand Management:
WPI and all Sub-Brands
Client: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Project: Art Direction, Brand Management
Dates: 2013-2018
Worcester Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1865 to create and convey the latest science and engineering knowledge in ways that are most beneficial to society. Today, WPI's 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. WPI also has a highly-funded and well-respected research enterprise working to solve important and socially relevant problems in such diverse fields as fire protection engineering, life sciences and bioengineering, energy and data science.
WPI sits on 80 acres in the heart of Worcester, Massachusetts; the second largest city in New England. The university currently has ~4,300 undergraduate and ~2,000 graduate students from 87+ countries, supported by ~1,200 faculty and staff as well as hundreds of thousands of alumni across the globe. WPI also has 45+ projects centers internationally where students and faculty work together on projects intended to make a positive impact on both the local communities and the world at large.
In 2012, WPI chose to execute a rebranding; an evolution, not a revolution, of its storied and traditional brand. They intended to move the visual brand in a direction that recognized the history and integrity of the institution while also conveying qualities of community, creativity, quirk, and versatility.
A year after the brand relaunch, I headed brand management for the university for the proceeding 5 years as we continued to expand the brand as well as create complimentary sub-brands for university initiatives, programs, and events. This included international copyrights and trademarks, licensing partnerships and royalties, merchandise strategy and selection, brand guidelines, communication and approvals of artwork for campus partners and external vendors, and art direction of an in-house design team creating mixed media collateral meant to elevate the reputation and recognition of the university at a global level.
Official Brand and Athletic Design: Joe Bosack & Co., Lynn Plotczik
Sub-brands Design: Pop Kitchen, Melissa Arndt, Michael Aiello
Photography: Tony Rinaldo, Ben Bocko, Matthew Burgos
Below is a collection of a few of WPI's specialized marks and sub-brands.
They cover a range of uses and audiences such as events, university strategic initiatives, major donors and advancement, and Pre-K summer programs.
