WKU | PCAL 60th Anniversary Branding
The Potter College of Arts & Letters at Western Kentucky University was founded in 1965, making 2025 its 60th anniversary. With an established WKU | PCAL brand already in place, I created a cohesive anniversary identity to celebrate the milestone year with a focus on campus visibility, alumni engagement, and event promotion. Alumni were a primary audience, especially during the 60th Anniversary Soiree where past and present Deans spoke to guests.
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Canva for animation
Timeline: Approximately one year
Role: Lead designer responsible for branding, print, merch, digital design, photography direction, and production coordination
Concept
The anniversary system needed to align with WKU and PCAL branding while introducing a subtle 1960s retro influence. The design direction bridges heritage and celebration by staying recognizable and on brand while reflecting the decade PCAL was founded.
The typography combines Neilvard Three, the current PCAL branding font, with Summer of 76, a retro sans serif that includes a lined variation used to construct the anniversary “0.” This pairing adds personality without breaking consistency with the university’s academic identity.
The color palette follows WKU’s established colors: WKU Red, Black, and White.
Logo System
The anniversary mark features a bold, stamp-style badge with a large “60” in the center. Circular text reads Potter College of Arts & Letters and Established 1965.
A secondary variation uses extended horizontal lines pulled from the lined “0” to create a wide graphic element. This four-line motif appears throughout the broader brand system to create unity and visual rhythm.
Three primary versions were developed during exploration, and the final selection was chosen for its clarity, flexibility, and strong connection to PCAL’s existing brand identity.
Applications
Merchandise
A complete merchandise collection was created to build visibility and give alumni meaningful anniversary keepsakes. I designed every piece and worked with a local printer for production.
Deliverables included:
Mugs
Hats
Magnets
Bumper stickers
PCAL tote bags
Custom baseball jerseys for the PCAL-sponsored Bowling Green Hot Rods game
Branded shirts
Printed giveaway items for campus events
Print and Event Materials
To support the Soiree and campus-wide celebrations, I designed:
Invitations
Event cards
Posters
Teaser graphics
Soiree promotion
Fall Fest promotion with the 60th identity included
These pieces helped unify all PCAL departments under one anniversary look so every unit could participate in the celebration with cohesive visuals.
Digital Assets
Digital deliverables included:
A teaser graphic to announce the anniversary
Social media posts
Story graphics
Event announcements
An animated photobooth start screen
A custom photobooth frame for the Soiree
All digital assets followed the extended-line motif and maintained the retro-inspired style.
Photography Integration
After production, I photographed the full merch collection for promotional use in print and digital materials.
Event photography for the Soiree and the Hot Rods baseball game was captured by Kyra Rookard, providing an additional layer of documentation that paired naturally with the branding.
Impact
The 60th Anniversary identity unified PCAL’s departments for an entire academic year. The visuals were used across events, alumni outreach, social media, and merchandise, which increased visibility and created a consistent experience for students, faculty, and alumni.
The branding became the anchor for all 60th anniversary communications throughout 2025.
