Retro is superior
By Umar Syed
Bradley brought forth their first logo in 1989. This logo was around for nearly two decades and has become a part of the history of not only the athletic department, but the university as a whole.
Now, there are some who say the current logo is better than the original, but I think we can agree to disagree. The ‘89-2011 logo is a vintage logo that was around for a long time and was loved by the Bradley community. Many students have expressed their interest in wanting this logo to return, and I agree.
This logo symbolizes Bradley’s growth and history and should not be tossed away and replaced by a logo that abandons the original iconic past. If we forget our past, how can we have a bright future?
Modern is better
By Mark Wagner
Some say that older is better, and there is truth in that.
Some past logos of professional sports teams have gone through rebrands and the fans will always have an opinion on it. Sometimes it turns out better, other times worse. In this case, I think it turned out better.
Bradley changed its logo in 2012 after former Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross suggested a transition from the logo used from 1989 to 2011. To quote Cross, “for many, many years, Bradley Athletics’ branding has been a scattered mix of logos and inconsistent presentations that varied from sport-to-sport and person-to-person.”
So, he unveiled the logo we know today: the “B” within a shield. Fun fact: this change occurred before Kaboom! became our mascot.
The new logo is here to stay and it’s a good one. The problem that often occurs with new logos nowadays is how they end up extremely minimalist and technological-looking. Bradley’s logo, on the other hand, is modern, adequate and, in my opinion, the “B” inside the shield is perfect. The best part is how the university listened to public feedback to create the new logo. The logo is made better because it was made by the Bradley community, not just staff.
If we had the retro logo today, it would feel too old-fashioned. There’s nothing wrong with the old logo, but it was time for a rebrand.
We can’t spend all of our time in the past, it is important to grow and change into the future.
