THE CHALLENGE
Amherst College was preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of coeducation, the decision that opened a significant new chapter for an already storied institution. The celebration would honor the trailblazing women who pushed coeducation forward and the generations who followed, while recognizing that they did not do it alone.
The challenge was to speak to a community that spans eras, cultures, and affinities, and to make sure each part of it felt invited in. The anniversary needed a clear, unifying message and a coherent point of view, but not a top-down one. It had to look back with pride, look ahead with purpose, and give alumni, students, faculty, and staff a way to see themselves in the story and make it their own.
INDUSTRY
Higher Education / Events
SERVICES
Brand Messaging, Logo Design, Visual Identity, Brand Standards, Website Design, Sales & Marketing Collateral, Campaigns, Signage & Environmental
THE SOLUTION
We began with a discovery process that included campus visits and interviews with leadership, advancement, and trustees, along with a review of archival materials, existing communications, and peer institutions. What emerged was a story rooted in the meaning of “co” itself: together, mutually, in common. From that insight came the “50CO” name and a messaging system built on three core ideas: Connection, Collaboration, and Community. The platform also asks the question, “What’s Your CO?” so that groups across campus can plug in with words of their own, such as athletics claiming “competitive,” and still stay part of one shared story.
The visual identity brings that idea to life through the kaleidoscope, which stands in for the “0” in 50. Just as turning a kaleidoscope creates new patterns from the same fragments, the mark celebrates how multiple perspectives coexisting make something richer. It grows into a collection of twelve kaleidoscopes, one primary and eleven secondary, that allows the identity to flex across series of posters, banners, and merchandise while keeping a consistent core. A comprehensive brand guide gives Amherst’s teams the tools to carry it forward, covering logo usage, color, typography, photography, and a voice that is bold, bright, and enthusiastic. It also includes examples across print, web, banners, social media, merchandise, and a wall mural.
