Momentum for Hofstra’s Next Chapter 

Branding an iconic institution to create momentum, drive growth, and overcome perception challenges

Higher education faces numerous headwinds, including an impending demographic cliff, rising costs, and a declining perception of value due to the rise of online colleges.

Amid this shift in sentiment, Hofstra University was often perceived as a regional commuter school, a view that conflicted with its award-winning academics and verdant residential campus. The university needed to better communicate its rich history, its returns on investment for students, its significance to Long Island, and its place on the national stage.

Client
Hofstra
Services
Brand Strategy, Brand Architecture, Brand Identity, Design Systems, Messaging, Campaigns, Content Creation, Brand Launch, Merchandised Content, Presentations, Web Design, Events & Environments, Web Development, Research & Insights
Three students posing in Hofstra spirit wear
Blurred figure walking past a Hofstra 'Momentum' display board
Graphic detailing the design elements of the Hofstra logo
Hofstra lion statue outside the Cranford Adams Playhouse adorned with welcome banners
Hofstra academic and athletic logo style guide
Hofstra tote bag with 'THRIVE' graphic hanging on a flowering tree
Two Hofstra textbooks stacked
Hofstra University handkerchief featuring a graphic grid of campus icons in blue and yellow
Hofstra 'SPARK' water bottle
Vertical stack of cubes decorated with Hofstra icons
Two students walking down a campus staircase
Student holding Hofstra acceptance packet
Hofstra brochure displaying student stories and map
Open booklet titled

We partnered with Hofstra to lead a comprehensive brand transformation rooted in collaboration, consensus-building, and strategic alignment across multiple stakeholders, including deans, departments, boards, senior leadership panels, and the president. Our discovery process revealed unleveraged equities: a rich heritage, a strong sense of place, a campus students call home, and an ambitious strategic plan for the future. We juxtaposed these attributes with Hofstra’s distinctive advantages—its breadth of academics, interdisciplinary offerings, arboretum-designated campus, and location between New York City and the coast—to underpin the new brand strategy. The brand promise centered on the concept of momentum, reflecting how Hofstra propels student achievement both during and after college by uniting a mix of benefits and characteristics that foster long-term success.

We designed a bold new logo, a modern symbol combining the tulip from Hofstra’s Dutch heritage, an open book, and an institutional shield into a monogram. Alongside this core identity, we redesigned Hofstra’s iconic athletics lions, creating a suite of marks for use across its wide range of sports programs. We preserved the equity of the university’s blue and yellow colors; augmented them with a supporting palette; and created a new design system grounded on grid systems, motion, and a symbol-based language. Custom glyphs, inspired by iconic campus landmarks, conveyed mood and a strong sense of place. A dedicated photoshoot generated a library of branded imagery, video, and drone footage to support a polished and authentic visual aesthetic.

From this foundation, we then planned, designed, and developed materials, moments, and experiences ranging from the intimately small to the monumental:

  • Branded merch that students, faculty, and staff would proudly use
  • New templates for academic, administrative, and event communications
  • A fully revamped admissions suite designed to elevate the applicant journey, with messaging targeted at future incoming classes, visually engaging and tactile formats, and content to support decision-making and conversion
  • A coordinated launch plan to build alignment, generate excitement, amplify school spirit, and inspire new ambassadors
  • An awareness campaign across digital and out-of-home media to raise stature and recognition with prospective students
  • A comprehensive wayfinding system and iconic physical installation to improve campus navigation and reinforce the new identity
  • A website rebuilt from the ground up with a new information architecture, refreshed look, and intuitive user experience fit for the future
Laptop decorated with Hofstra stickers
Person viewing laptop screen showing Hofstra
Mobile screen showing Hofstra promotional content
Smiling students placing stickers on a large interactive wall
Hands placing a sticker on a collaborative mural
Hofstra lion mascots posing with the university logo
Six people in Hofstra shirts pose with branded signs in front of a Hofstra backdrop
Hofstra lion logo on a blue waving flag
Pile of yellow and white golf balls printed with the Hofstra logo and lion mark
Two Hofstra baseball players wearing white uniforms with the Hofstra name and logo
The new Hofstra brand launched with high visibility and significant impact. It was unveiled to donors at the university’s annual gala by the president and introduced to the campus community through a series of pop-up events.
Across these activations, more than 10,000 students engaged with the new identity through interactive stations, giveaways, and live screen-printing stations. The visual identity came to life across Hofstra’s 244-acre campus through new environmental graphics and wayfinding. Uniforms and gear for 21 Division I athletic teams and more than 20 club sports are being updated to reflect the new brand.
Today, Hofstra presents itself as a bold, modern university that is proud of its heritage and able to demonstrate a commitment to delivering value. The transformation led by us has helped shift perception, foster community pride, and align stakeholders around a powerful brand built to meet future challenges.
Two blue Hofstra banners along a tree-lined campus walkway
Interior hallway with large windows featuring Hofstra graphics and sunlight
Students walking along a tree-lined campus path past a Hofstra wayfinding sign
Modern campus building with “Hofstra University” signage at sunset