The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) announced a refreshed visual identity system following extensive brand research conducted over the past few years.
The updated visual identity includes new logos, colors, and branding elements designed to enhance UAB’s visibility and reputation. For the first time in UAB’s history, the primary logo will be shared across the university, medicine, and athletics, creating a unified brand image.
“A brand refresh is a strategic investment in our future, and it will take years to fully implement our new logos on all UAB buildings and other instances in the physical environment,” Rosie O’Beirne, Chief Digital Strategy and Marketing Officer for UAB said. The phased approach we are taking will allow us to implement change in a fiscally responsible way.”
Key Changes in UAB’s New Identity
Branded House Model
UAB adopted a unified primary logo across all entities — university, medicine, and athletics — following a common model among other national university brands.
Refreshed Monogram
The new monogram features a cleaner design with spaced lettering for improved legibility and recognition, particularly for stakeholders outside the region. This monogram can be used alone or as a lockup with the word mark, offering new flexibility to increase brand recognition.
Unified Medicine Model
UAB Medicine will share primary colors and fonts with the university and athletics, representing medical education, research, and clinical care. Detailed guidelines will be released with the full launch in January 2025.
Refreshed Color Palette
The official colors are re-established as green and gold, with the updated palette featuring a richer, darker green and a brighter gold. These changes ensure web accessibility and expand the availability of branded merchandise.
Brand Font
Aktiv Grotesk, a modern sans-serif font, enhances readability and brings a contemporary look to UAB’s communications. The new logo features title case in the primary lockup, improving visual appeal and accessibility.
New Primary Athletics Logo
The athletics logo now includes a strong gold outline, distinguishing it from the university and UAB Medicine logos. Blaze, the secondary logo for athletics, will continue to be used as a university-wide spirit mark with minor enhancements to match the updated color palette.
The official brand launch is set for January 2025. However, the university has begun a soft launch this fall, with the updated logos appearing in key areas such as newly constructed buildings, student recruitment materials, and the scoreboard at Protective Stadium.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
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