Univ. Of Akron Updates Its Kangaroo Mascot

The AKRON BEACON JOURNAL's Katie Byard reported that the Univ. of Akron (UA) Board of Trustees "approved a series of new dark blue and gold logos – a move that school officials hope will increase visibility for the sports teams and boost sales of licensed merchandise." The kangaroo mascot dates back to the 1950s, and many of the new logos feature a "leaping, considerably less-cartoonish Zippy." The new designs, created by PA-based Joe Bosack Graphic Design Co., are gold and blue. UA paid the design firm $22,950 for its work. Previously, UA had different symbols and logos for its athletic teams, but now all UA teams "will have a logo with the same kangaroo in motion and the word Akron in block letters." UA Assistant AD for External Relations Mike Waddell, on the design: "We have 18 teams here at the University of Akron. We had all these different looks and nobody looked the same. It looked scattered, more like a shotgun approach to marketing" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 4/25).