California Lutheran University Logo History

The new California Lutheran University logo has been designed to unify the University's collective identity under one dynamic symbol that captures both where CLU has been and where it is going.

The official California Lutheran University logo is a combination mark consisting of a graphic symbol with customized typography. Whenever possible, the two-color version of the logo should be used, printed in the specified PMS colors or in a process color conversion of those PMS colors when spot colors are unavailable. When restrictions limit the number of colors used, the logo should be presented in black or violet.




Logo Symbolism
CLU's logo represents the University's character as well as its aspirations for the future. As a symbol, the sun resonates with the fundamental nature of CLU: its warm, Southern California setting; its quest for the illumination of knowledge and truth; the embracing of science, business, education and the liberal arts; a selective comprehensive institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields; and a progressive, inclusive spiritual vision.

The sun is warm and inviting, much like CLU’s campus community. It is also an image rich with positive associations, both academic and spiritual. The sunburst suggests the energy of a campus animated by intellectual, social and spiritual purpose. It dramatizes creative power as well as the act of creation and, in so doing, reinforces the balance of the human and the theological that defines CLU while implying the University’s relationship to God, the ultimate creator.

The split in the symbol provides a platform for CLU to tell its whole story, as it is open to interpretation. It represents the balance of faith and reason that people encounter at CLU as well as the University’s emphasis on educating whole students who attain lives balanced by success and meaning. In this respect, it mirrors the balance emphasized in the University’s mission statement, as well as in the classroom.

The name “California Lutheran University” is included in the logo as a visual statement, reinforcing the name as brand and identity foundation. The University’s full name was chosen for the word mark because it has a dignified and prestigious resonance. As the University continues to establish itself, emphasizing the full name in its visual identity is the best possible approach.


Reference:http://www.callutheran.edu/brand_center/graphic_identity/clu_logo.php