Wartburg College “Be Orange” Branding
In the fall of 1999, after several marketing director changes, Wartburg College was in critical need of a new brand. The logo, brand and brand standards had become disjointed, tired and in need of new energy around its marketing.
Connect
Focus on the Brand
In faculty focus groups, there was talk about changing the college’s color. AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising served as a guide to take the college through an inclusive and innovative brand change process.
Motivate
Fusion SessionSM
We utilized Fusion SessionsSM, which are interactive group workshops with metaphorical questioning techniques, to develop a more contemporary look, new color palette and branding line, Be Orange, for the college.
Measure
Exceeding Expectations
How successful was the brand change? The college immediately integrated the brand into the school culture:
- The track was painted orange
- Orange shirts replaced blue, green and gray shirts in the bookstore
- Oranges popped up around campus
- Orange flavored “Scratch-and-Sniff” was used on the viewbook
- Santa’s suit became orange
- Student recruitment remained strong through 2010
- And “Be Orange” became more than a branding line, it became a “Just Do It” for Wartburg College
Within several years (and a few CASE awards), several local universities and colleges had found they liked the “Be ________” slogan idea and adopted “Be More,” “Be Remarkable,” “Be Valued” and “Be Bold.”
