People in Utah readily recognize the signature block U that represents the University of Utah.
But outside the state? The letter might as well stand for “unrecognizable.”
The University of Utah said the symbol is often confused nationally with the University of Miami — which is also known as the “U”— or even the hygiene brand Unilever that uses a block U.
“The standalone U runs into competition from other institutions,” the Utah school said.
To move away from that unclear tangle, the University of Utah announced this week that it is shifting to a new logo to “differentiate and distinguish ourselves.”
The flagship Utah university will now primarily use a logo featuring two red interlocking U letters, with the school’s name spelled out below.
It’s not the first time an interlocking U image has been used by the institution. It’s been in the school’s logo rotation for years, including 2015, when it was the main logo for University of Utah athletics.
But the school says it now wants to push the interlocking logo for the university overall to “promote the institution as a whole” — including its health campus, research labs, classrooms and athletics — as it works to build its reputation as a leader across the country and celebrates its 175-year anniversary.
“While the U is looking to expand its reputation and awareness nationally, this logo change also supports the university’s efforts to emphasize integration and collaboration across the institution as part of its strategic vision,” the school said in a statement.
Utah President Taylor Randall has pushed, as part of his strategic vision for the school, to be a top 10 academic institution nationwide.
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.