District Rebrands
Franklin City Schools rebrands with new Wildcat, paw, and wordmark
A modern, red, black, and white wildcat with alert ears and open eyes is part of Franklin City Schools’ new district brand that was unveiled at the September 12 groundbreaking.
The updated Wildcat — one that’s unique to the district — along with a new paw and wordmarks are part of a branding package that the district is rolling out. The district currently uses a variety of wildcats, most of which are borrowed from other schools including colleges and universities. Those will gradually be phased out and replaced with the district’s new trademarked Wildcat and paw.
“At least four other Ohio high schools use the same wildcat that Franklin has used for many years,” said Fil Anastasio, Marketing and Business Development Manager at the District’s architecture firm SHP. He led the team of parents, staff, administrators, alumni, a board member, and community members who met multiple times since April to work on the brand refresh.
The new Wildcat has a W (for Wildcats) built into the lines on its face, and with a nod to Franklin’s geography, the curve around its cheek mirrors the curvature of the Great Miami River as it flows through the city.
The board approved the new branding package in August, but the district chose to unveil the new look at the public celebration on Sept. 12.
As the rebranding committee worked, they had the benefit of more than 1000 community survey responses that clarified what was important to the residents and what they wanted the brand to represent. The new Wildcat honors the traditions of the old Wildcat mascot, with a ¾ face, the red and black colors, and the use of both “Wildcats” and “Cats.” The new logo contains both school colors, a change from the current black and white Wildcat.
Rebranding discussion began in early spring with the goal of ensuring that the district’s brand is as fresh and up-to-date as the new buildings will be. The new Wildcat mascot will be unique to Franklin City Schools, and the red and black colors will be standard across all buildings and school properties, all uses, and all platforms, both print and digitally.
