NCAA - University of Vermont

U. of Vermont Unveils Modified Logo

A New Cat for Hats

By Kevin Foley

Subtle changes provide a sales spark? The new V-Cat is on the left, its predecessor is on the right.

The University of Vermont’s old cat isn’t coming back.

In a drive to increase the eye-appeal of the venerable athletics mascot, the university has redesigned its catamount mascot. The new design, cleaner and more forceful than its predecessor, will grace new hats, T-shirts and other paraphernalia, as well as serving as the department logo.

In addition, a new line of sports specific “V-cat” logos (with the mascot leaping through a Vermont “V”) places the catamount in a variety of sporty guises, from dribbling a basketball to wearing ski goggles.

“Our mission is to tie our varsity teams to a new and more intense retail program that will result in more awareness for our teams as well as increased revenues,” says Chris McCabe, assistant vice president for marketing and business development.

The catamount was not available to comment on his makeover.

Since the differences between logos new and old are subtle at first glance, the view herewith presents an exegesis of the updated logo:

OVERALL DEMEANOR
Old V-Cat: Springy
New V-Cat: Springy

MUSCULATURE
Old V-Cat: Heavy, but somewhat bulky, somewhat reminiscent of a shar-pei given to bodybuilding.
New V-Cat: Heavy, but longer, more graceful and leonine.

HEAD
Old V-Cat: Heresy of heresies, but it must be said: The cat’s previous iteration, with its Nixonian jowliness and floppy ears, resembled — horror of horrors — a dog, a bulldog to be precise.
New V-Cat: Aerodynamic and feline, with lengthened whiskers signifying attentiveness and curiosity, two fundamental aspects of the UVM undergraduate experience.

PAWS & CLAWS
Old V-Cat: Pads distinct and rounded, as in a teddy bear. Claws well-manicured.
New V-Cat: Pads streamlined and conjoined, as in a predator. Claws threateningly in need of a trim.

COLORATION
Old V-Cat: An integrated buff-brown color, excellent for blending into the scrub on a Vermont hillside. A classic Vermont green-and-yellow in the typography.
New V-Cat: A darker mocha brown, with white highlights, excellent for standing out on store shelves. A more assertive green and gold in the typography.

This article was taken from www.uvm.edu.  All rights reserved.