Osborne Cardinals

Learn about how we created a legally-compliant school mascot for the oldest high school in Cobb County, GA.

Sports Logo - Visual Identity System - Trademark Application - Environmental Design

The Challenge

Osborne High School was looking to create an updated school mascot that would move away from a potential legal problem. The school had never gone through the process of creating a unique mascot logo. Instead, they were using images found on the internet. The school also wanted to honor its rich history and tradition as it is the oldest high school in Cobb County, GA, with its first school year beginning in 1926.

Identity: Before

The previous school mascot was pieced together from various logos and presented the school with a potential legal problem. In addition, the school was using the logo throughout the campus, and expansion plans were underway. To protect against the school’s lack of a unique mascot, I set out to solve the problem of creating something new that reflected the school’s rich history.

Identity Exploration

In our initial conversations, there were several design cues the school wanted to see achieved. Each concept I developed sought to meet the school’s desired look while simultaneously being unique and proprietary.

The list given by the school was:

Maintain a side profile or a 3/4 profile
NOT forward-facing
Needs to be aggressive without being menacing
Style should be between abstract and literal

Identity:After

The final solution provided Osborne with a unique school mascot they can be proud of. The Cardinal mark is a registered mark with the USPTO.

Ultimately, I created a mascot that would allow Osborne to continue to move forward as they grow and evolve:

I created a custom typeface that the school can use internally to connect with the updated athletic identity.
I helped the school transition to a more modern version of its colors. This change kept the school’s legacy while appealing to the newer students.
I developed a system of “sub-brands” for individual athletic programs, which helps keep a unified brand architecture while allowing each team to showcase its unique personality.