With the "iowa State" across the top the tornado looks like a dancer. I mean we play FOOTBALL like a bunch of dancers, but does not appeal to me.
Check out this AMAZING Cyclone "tornado" logo concept
- Thread starter Kagavi
- Start date
With the "iowa State" across the top the tornado looks like a dancer. I mean we play FOOTBALL like a bunch of dancers, but does not appeal to me.
I've actually thought that would be a great logo for a few years now. I love the updated look with the shading and color scheme. I would be ecstatic to see us adopt that. How do we make that happen?
Just a heads up, the Scheels at Jordan Creek has vintage cardinal, gold, and charcoal shirts with the tornado logo on it. I bought one of each last weekend.
How much would you pay for this?
He wouldn't PAY anything. He would KILL you for it.
Probably not. There's nothing stopping anyone from making their own shirt though. It's easy enough to trace onto a shirt, or to cut out some fabric and stitch onto a sweatshirt. All strictly DIY though.
As a side note, we had the same thought process that amestoplease did when we did our ISU project in 2013, but instead of updating the 1980s logo, we took it in the opposite direction and "devolved" the logo to a 1920s representative logo that could've existed during Jack Trice's era. Would love to see someone create a 1950s faux-throwback of a Cyclone logo too. I think that would be fun to recreate a mock logo history through the decades.
There is no way that wouldn't get used against us.
Attachments
There is no way that wouldn't get used against us.
---------->
I actually own this Kagavi shirt (I think I might have all but one of them). My 2 year old twins looked at me the first time I was wearing it and started laughing. "Daddy has poop on his shirt!" They thought it was hilarious, and when I looked down, lo & behold, they weren't wrong.
There is no way that wouldn't get used against us.
---------->
Yet that is a better brand and more recognizable to those outside our state than the I-State logo? C'mon man.
The worst thing ISU can do is to change their logo/brand every 5 seconds. What ISU has works and should stick. If you want to put the tornado on a helmet for a game or two/put it on t-shirts, that's fine. Heck, I'd buy a couple pieces of apparel with it. But don't change our logo because no one outside our state will recognize it.
You can hate my argument all you want, but it's the truth. Maybe not so much on just ESPN, by just college sports fans, but people know the I-State logo and brand now nationally, no reason to scrap it for a tornado that looks like poo upside down.
I love it! But could we add a little of blue into the mix?
Perfect. Only thing missing is I-S-U on top of it, using a typeface that looks trendy but won't age well.
My graphic design skills are limited — here's my concept:
This would look good on an all-cardinal football helmet.
Attachments
Based on my personal experience here in TX, I have to agree wholeheartedly. WalkingCy also said a similar thing above. Folks, the I-STATE logo is working.
Last edited:
No disagreement here. Would be nice to see the funnel restored as a secondary or alternative logo, though. I think the stencil I-STATE logo looks great on a helmet.
<-- See??
There is no way that wouldn't get used against us.
---------->
Check out this surprisingly successful fro-yo chain's logo that is flying neon dog turds:
As a designer working in brand identity myself I'd be inclined to push the same I State logo with subtle but infrequent updates for many decades. That said, as other have pointed out the graphic representations we have of Cy right now aren't great, I'd go as far to say the one of his head in an oval looks stamped as late 90s.
Some kind of cyclone shape could possibly be a great secondary mark or mascot mark could easily replace those...but the problem to solve there is as long as Cy the mascot cardinal is popular there will always be a need to have him represented graphically. This is no doubt what led to blender bird in the mid 90s. There's the same issue just with ISU, Iowa State or I State. We can't just have a cyclone mark without a very strong word mark.
I also agree with people who think the original cyclone shape logo and especially the type that goes with it looks really laid back and chill. We're a midwestern tech/ag land grant, not a liberal arts college on a palm tree lined beach.
All I need to know about the I State logo is how much the talking heads on Omaha sports radio made fun of it when was released. That alone tells you its good. They made comments like who does Iowa St think they are. It's very recognizable and should age well.
LOL. In our defense, the 1920s didn't have the poo emoji. Ha.
Let's not get off path here. No one is suggesting that we use that mock 1920s throwback, but rather amestoplease's concept. Also, no one is advocating getting rid of the I-STATE logo, but rather adding the Cyclone as a secondary logo right next to Cy. Seems logical, right?
After all, look at so many other schools using both a "school" logo and an "iconic" logo:
Many other schools have three logos: the standard school athletic logo, the design logo, and the mascot logo. For example, Arizona State pictured above has the ASU logo, the trident logo, and the sun devil mascot logo.
Right now Iowa State has the I-STATE logo, __________ (no logo for the school nickname), and the Cy mascot logo. Does that make more sense?
Attachments
I like it. It would make a great secondary marking. Though for me, you'll never top walking Cy as a primary mark.
Keeping I State unchanged as primary and giving "Walking Cy" a subtle update to match it a little more closely is also a great option in my opinion. Everyone thinks the SEC has some classic retro logo...they don't. Their circle SEC logo is a brand new and made to look classic/retro, probably the most acclaimed design move in this area by college sports in the last decade or so.
Walking Cy has that feel of instantly looking like a retro college team logo. The negatives are the lack of connection to a cyclone and that he resemble's KU's crow...but the positive of it looking like a team mascot from the beginning of time is a big one.
