Aquinas Academy Launches New Logos and Spirit Store

Dear friends,

I'm excited to share with you the fruit of much labor from many members of our community over the last nine months. Way back in October, we gathered a group of parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and board members to look at our branding and spirit wear efforts. We had noticed that, over time, our branding had become disjointed; there was a proliferation of versions of our logo, Crest, and colors, with little consistency among our fonts. In addition, we had consistently heard there is a desire to be able to purchase spirit wear items online, and to have a consolidated location to buy athletic team items.

And so over many months, the team went to work, establishing for the first time in our history a Brand Guide that provides clear and comprehensive direction on which brand elements to use when and where. The new branding elements were approved by the Board of Directors in the spring, after which our team began to implement them in the many various applications for adoption in the coming school year.

What is changing?

The mission and core values of Aquinas Academy are not changing. We will continue to strive for the faith-filled formation and academic rigor that make Aquinas what it is! 

The changes are primarily a refresh and expansion of our visual identity (logos, typography, color palette, and brand guidelines) for our school and athletic programs, an improved apparel selection and experience for ordering spirit wear and Aquinas apparel, and ongoing changes to improve physical areas of our campus, such as our gymnasium entrance.

Most academic institutions have updated their visual identities by introducing a more robust and flexible system of logos. Our goal in this project was to introduce new design elements that provide versatility and brand recognition while remaining heavily inspired by the Crest.

Why is a refresh and expansion needed?

A visual identity should be regularly assessed to make sure it continues to communicate clearly, consistently, and flexibly across all mediums, including print, websites, social media, and more.

We recognized several problems that had a root cause in an incomplete and unofficial brand identity:

• With no published guidelines and years of inconsistency, there were a multitude of styles, graphics, and designs that made our school brand feel fragmented, unofficial, and inconsistent with the caliber of our school.
• Our Crest was designed before much of our modern and digital technology existed. The intricate details do not scale well to small sizes, and we’ve found that it can’t be embroidered in its entirety on our uniform apparel items.
• The school does not own the graphic files required by vendors to embroider and supply our apparel. Each vendor we use has redesigned the Crest to suit their process, pricing, and machinery, leading to an inconsistent look.
• The original "vintage" Crusader graphics and artwork—including the gymnasium floor design—were created by external vendors, and Aquinas Academy does not hold the rights to these designs. Vendor-created graphics typically remain under vendor ownership unless usage rights are specifically transferred through a licensing agreement.

 

So is the Crest going away?

No!

 

Is the Crest changing?

The only change to the Crest is a slight recoloring of the black elements to our official Navy Blue. It should be noted that a recoloring of the Crest also occurred circa 2012.

Where did the Crest come from?

The Aquinas Crest has served as a primary symbol of Aquinas Academy since the early 2000s. The Crest was developed by a local marketing firm, incorporating the motto, "Contemplata Aliis Tradere", established by Dr. Robert Blume, the father of founder Mr. Peter Blume, and was created with meaningful symbolism to represent our mission.

 

When will the Crest be used?

The Crest will continue to be used in settings where it can be appropriately rendered, in its entirety, in an easily readable format. It will especially be used in formal and ceremonial roles, such as on diplomas, transcripts, Board communications, and formal invitations. You will continue to see it throughout campus in large and readable formats.

 

What's with the new shield?

The shield with the Dominican Cross is part of our newly approved academic logo. The entire logo consists of the shield icon with our name in Letraset Romic font, which is the font from our name in the Crest. 

The shield extracts two core elements from the Crest to provide a clean, versatile icon that can scale appropriately to typical uses. The shield shape is an archetypal symbol of academics and medieval heraldry that people instinctively associate with a traditional institution.

The Dominican Cross is the most distinctively Catholic element from the Crest, symbolizing not just our Christian tradition, but more specifically our patron, St. Thomas Aquinas, who was a member of the Dominican Order. The coloring of the shield icon and the wordmark are consistent with our officially established school color palette.

 

What about that new "A"?

The use of an "A" by the Baseball Team as a primary logo was well received by the community. However, as the coaching staff would attest, the "A" chosen at the time did not tie into any existing brand elements. And so we sought to establish a true monogram for Aquinas, in the spirit of instantly recognizable monograms such as the Notre Dame "ND", the Georgetown "G", or the Pittsburgh Pirates "P".

The Aquinas "A" is a blend of the Letraset Romic "A" with a Museo Slab "A", creating a distinct monogram that communicates strength, boldness, and balance. The rounded edges on the corners soften the geometric angles and tie the monogram back to our Academic Crest.

Furthermore, the triple caps on each corner are very traditional and can be seen as evoking Trinitarian imagery—three distinct elements, but one in shape. The two base caps come together to form one top cap in the way the rivers of Pittsburgh converge at the confluence. The negative space within the "A" can be seen as a spear, tying back to our athletic identity as Crusaders.

 

Where will the "A" be used? 

Our new monogram will be used in many athletic-related uses, including spirit wear. It will especially be used in places where the Crusader mascot logo is believed to be inappropriate, either due to its intricacy and scale (i.e. being unable to see the appropriate detail) or due to its whimsical and youthful aesthetic.

 

Is the Crusader mascot logo changing? 

There are only two small changes at this time to the Crusader mascot logo. First, the collar around the neck of the horse has been simplified. Second, the Cross on the shield has been swapped for our Dominican Cross to more clearly communicate our identity as Aquinas Academy and tie back to our Crest and Academic Logo.

 

Why are we the Crusaders? 

The purpose of our Athletics Program is to support the Academy's mission through athletic competition. Specifically, the program focuses on the character formation and physical development of student-athletes in order to reach their fullest potential. All involved in Aquinas Athletics are expected to work towards the fulfillment of these goals, giving glory to God in action and in speech.

For Aquinas, the Crusader embodies the qualities we strive to cultivate in our students: strength of character, boldness in the face of challenge, and loyalty to Lord and the Church. On the field, court, and track, our athletes carry this identity as a call to bring their best, compete with integrity, and represent their school and faith with pride.

 

How will the brand refresh affect our athletic program?

Our athletic program deserves a visual identity that matches the excellence and pride our student-athletes bring to competition. The refresh includes the development of complementary athletic logos and a cohesive uniform system that gives our teams an updated, professional appearance. Whether on the field, court, or in the stands, we want our Aquinas athletes to be immediately recognized as part of our school.

We also took this refresh as an opportunity to select New Balance as our varsity uniform brand to improve the quality, fit, and selection of athletic uniforms. This means our student-athletes will have uniforms that not only look sharp but also feel professional and are built to perform. The uniforms will not all be replaced immediately. Rather, as teams become due for new uniforms, the designs and graphics will be updated.

 

Who is designing and supplying our spirit wear items? 

To ensure consistency and quality, Aquinas Academy has partnered with 4Marks, an apparel company best known as the parent company of SockReligious! 4Marks will have our complete brand asset collection and guidelines, allowing them to create high-quality apparel designs that represent Aquinas, which will be available through an online store.

This partnership means that all spirit wear and uniform designs come from a single, trusted source. We will not accept custom designs or apparel orders from other vendors. This approach ensures that every piece students and families wear reflects the intentional, professional aesthetic approved by the Board.

 

Visit the new Spirit Store!

 

Will team stores for athletics still be offered?

Team stores for specific sports will still be offered at certain times throughout the year, benefiting those programs. These stores can be found at the top of the webpage under "Sports Spirit Stores."

 

So is this now our brand forever?

No, best practices are to consider a light brand refresh every 3-5 years to ensure the brand is meeting the needs of the organization, and a brand review every 7-10 years.