July 1, 2014
New Johns Hopkins Athletics Logos (July, 2014) 
BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins University Department of Athletics and Recreation unveiled new official sports logos and a series of secondary graphics today. The updated marks are the first official changes to the Johns Hopkins athletics logos since 1995, when the current Blue Jay marks made their debut.
In consultation with administrative staff from the Department of Athletics, the new marks were developed by the Johns Hopkins University Office of Communications.
"We are very excited about the additional marks and enhanced visual identity," noted Tom Calder, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Johns Hopkins. "When the University underwent its visual identity initiative and the development of new logos in 2013, we began to explore the possibility of enhancing our athletics marks as well. We have enjoyed unparalleled success in recent years and these marks will strengthen our brand and enhance our efforts in many areas, including recruiting and marketing."
Johns Hopkins recently completed the most successful year in its athletics history. Johns Hopkins placed a program-best third in the 2013-14 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup rankings, while 17 Blue Jay teams appeared in NCAA Championship competition. A school-record 14 of Johns Hopkins' 24 teams won conference titles and a program-record 12 student-athletes earned Capital One Academic All-America honors.
In all, there are now three official sports logos. Fans will recognize what they see in the new identity series as the Blue Jay head remains the base of the new marks, while the athletics colors also remain the same (black and blue (PMS 284)).
The design team enhanced the Blue Jay head with a bolder, more defined appearance and coupled it with a black shield from the official Johns Hopkins University logo to create a synergy between athletics and the athletic marks and the University marks. There are two "shielded" logos, one with just the Blue Jay head and another with "Hopkins" centered below. The well-known "arched Hopkins", now with a bolder, cleaner font face, also remains coupled with the Blue Jay head.
Three secondary marks are also available and include just the Blue Jay head, a split H and a split H with the Blue Jay head. While the Blue Jay head has been the base of the Johns Hopkins athletic logo series since 1995, the split H and split H with the Blue Jay head have been popular alternative marks in recent years and are available for limited use.
In a Q&A format, below is some additional information on the process and initiative undertaken.
Why the Change?
The Johns Hopkins University's athletics identity system was developed to bring continuity to all athletic marks and align its visual assets with those of the university identity system.
What has changed?
Not too much. The Blue Jay head is the still the base of the Johns Hopkins athletic marks with all changes and enhancements working from that. The Blue Jay itself has been enhanced to present a bolder look and coupled with a variety of items and text.
What are the official colors of Johns Hopkins Athletics?
Athletic colors are Hopkins Blue (PMS 284), white and black. No other logo colors are acceptable.
What's with the shield?
Johns Hopkins University underwent a rebranding initiative in 2013 and the shield became a prominent part of its identity. This is why athletics recognized the opportunity to strengthen the Johns Hopkins University as a team by creating a new logo that unifies the university's commitment to excellence in academics and athletics' commitment to excellence in sports. Blending the tradition and symbolism of the Blue Jay with the styling of the university shield achieves this bold union.
Will we see the logo (s) on team uniforms?
There is no directive to place the marks on team uniforms in a manner that is not functional; in other words, the marks will not be added just to be added. A majority of team uniforms utilize the school name as an identifier and that is likely to continue.
Are there places we can expect to see them on a team uniform?
The most likely placement of the new logos on a team uniform are on the helmets worn by the Johns Hopkins football, men's lacrosse and baseball teams. There are some additional places that the logos have been used (swimming and water polo suits for example) and the expectation is that will continue.
Where else can we expect to see the new marks?
The new athletic logos will begin to appear immediately on printed materials, electronic communications, social media and all other areas where the previous marks were utilized.
Is there one logo that stands above the rest?
There are three official logos; the Blue Jay head with the shield, the Blue Jay head with "Hopkins" centered below and the arched Hopkins with the Blue Jay head locked together.
How about secondary graphics?
The Blue Jay head, the split H and the split H with the Blue Jay head are all appropriate secondary graphics and may be used in certain, less formal presentations. The Blue Jay head, when used alone, must be cropped in some way. If not, the Blue Jay head with the shield should be used. The H's may be used as a graphic element for informal uses, including wall art, brochures, banners, invitations, and clothing.
Tell us about the Special Purpose Logos?
There are currently three tiers of special purpose logos, and they are:
? Office and Facility Logos
? Blue Jays Unlimited Logo
? Team Logos
These logos are created in a templated environment and follow a consistent hierarchy of elements. These elements are:
? The illustration of the official sports logo (shielded blue jay).
? The word "HOPKINS."
? The name of the office or facility/BJU/team.
The template provides two layout options: vertically stacked and horizontally run.
How can the Special Purpose Logos be used?
At this time, there are very strict guidelines concerning usage of these templated logos. They are never to replace the Official Sports Logo or the University Athletic Logo nor should they compete with them on the same communication. These logos are limited to Office of Ath-letics sanctioned polo shirts and other staff/team gear.
Please contact Ernie Larossa in the Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications office with any questions about the use of the new official sports logos or secondary graphics (elarossa@jhu.edu).
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