A bold new look for UL has been unveiled after the first-ever reimagining of the University’s brand. A dynamic new logo has been designed as part of an extensive brand refresh project. It is the University’s first identity refresh since 1989, when the University of Limerick Act was enacted. The evolution of the logo remains true to elements of the original heraldic crest, but has been modernised for a digital age. It was unveiled to the campus community this Tuesday morning by UL President Dr Des Fitzgerald.
“Over the past year, 2,000 staff, students and alumni have been engaged in this brand refresh process. This exercise brought into focus our rich heritage, history and set them side by side with our ambitions for the future,” said the UL President.
“Our brand reflects our pride in the University of Limerick, our ambitions for its future and the communities we serve. It provides us with a new way of looking at ourselves together with confidence, boldness, ambition and integrity,” he added.
The new colour of green has been drawn from the original heraldic crest, which was awarded to UL by the Chief Herald of Ireland in 1972 and will continue to be used for ceremonial purposes and on degree parchments.
The former brand featured symbols of the region, which have been retained; King John’s Castle representing the city of Limerick, the Tau cross which is central to the County Clare crest and the giant Irish elk which is synonymous with the province of Munster.
New elements representing the UL flagpoles and the Shannon River have been introduced to reflect the campus and the natural world and as modern symbols that are immediately recognisable as associated with UL.
One of the fonts used in the new logo took its inspiration from the ‘Limerick demands a university’ sign widely used during student-led marches in 1969. The original motto, Eagna chun Gnímh, translated as Wisdom for Action, still rings true and will be elevated as a central theme in the new brand message.
“The new brand has been designed to show a bold, dynamic and future-facing University, while acknowledging the accomplishments that have underpinned the University’s strong standing and reputation,” said Dr Fitzgerald.
“It is a balance between heritage and modernity, innovation and the natural world. It draws from UL’s stunning natural environment, while balancing that with the modern, bold architecture that has been designed to creativity and collaboration.
“University of Limerick was established through the power of the people of Limerick and the wider region who campaigned for a university and the commitment and hard work of many thousands of staff that followed. This pioneering spirit continues today as we inspire learning and exploration that makes a difference to our world,” he added.
A wide consultation took place with a variety of internal and external groups and stakeholders over the course of the ten-month brand refresh project.
“The objective of the refresh project was to create a brand which represents University of Limerick in the most compelling and consistent manner,” said former Dean of UL’s Kemmy Business School Philip O’Regan, chair of the brand refresh steering group.
“This project has included the exploration of the University’s brand attributes and values and the development of the defined brand strategy into a visual representation. Many focus groups and workshops with students, staff, external stakeholders, alumni and industry partners have helped to share this vision and representation,” he added.
The brand refresh project, which was run through a procurement tender process, was valued at €100,000.
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