Love it or hate it, Temple’s new Owls ‘mark’ for its athletics program is a real hoot

To kick off a new month, Temple athletics dropped a new secondary logo, or “mark” as it’s being referred to by the university, in a move to give its teams a brand new, recognizable brand all their own.

Temple’s iconic “T” is the school’s primary logo, but the new logo, complete with an owl flying just below the “T,” was created by sports branding strategist Joe Bosack, a Temple alum who involved members of the student body to provide an assist.

“What you’ll see in this logo is the diamond shape, an important symbol to Temple — a nod to the famous speech by Temple’s founder Russell Conwell,” explained Bosack. “The other thing that you’ll see is that the Temple T is included. The T is clearly a profound symbol of this institution. It’s everywhere. It’s beyond just a logo at this point. It’s an icon of higher education in the city of Philadelphia.”

Why the need for a modification to Temple’s logo?

“We wanted a modern logo because we’re not in the ‘90s anymore,” said Scott Walcott, Temple’s senior associate athletic director. “The university has evolved. North Philadelphia has evolved. Temple athletics has evolved. “We are in a new era and this new mark sends that message.”

However, when the new logo was released mid-morning on Tuesday, early reactions on social media were mixed.

Will this replace sales of that cartoon Owl that was made popular in the 1990s on secondary sites? No. It also isn’t replacing Hooter the Owl, or Stella for that matter. But this new logo will be the standard on athletics merchandise going forward, specifically on Temple team apparel.

The idea? “Simpler, cleaner lines,” according to Lael Troupe, a director in Temple’s office of strategic marketing and communication, who noted that the 1990s Owl is passe, a design that “fell out of favor.”

Temple athletics director Arthur Johnson noted that for the athletes, having a recognizable brand all their own is the real win.

“Marketing and branding, having something that is unique and identifiable, is extremely important for an athletic department,” Johnson said. “As our student-athletes play and participate in competitions in our conference and around the country, they are representing Temple.”

In addition to the announcement of the new Owls logo, Temple’s bookstore announced that Fanatics, its primary apparel supplier, has already rolled out a selection available at the store and online.