GHSU & ASU Merger: Results nearly unanimous in logo, seal, color - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

The votes have been tallied and the final results are in for the soon to be Georgia Regents University's primary logo mark, branded seal and primary colors. 

The results were nearly unanimous across all groups surveyed, with the preferred primary logo mark, seal and primary color palette receiving 44 percent (2,495 votes), 39 percent (2,233 votes) and 55 percent of the total vote (3,183), respectively.

The online survey, conducted by the Division of Institutional Effectiveness, polled ASU and GHSU alumni, faculty, staff and students and revealed agreement by all groups for the new university's primary logo. All groups except GHSU students agreed on the seal and all groups except GHS faculty and staff agreed on the color palette.

The total response rate to the survey was 13.7 percent. Out of 6,357 votes, 4,372 respondents resided in Georgia, or 68.7 percent. Alumni accounted for over one third of the votes (36.2 percent), with students making up nearly another third (29.2 percent).

"I would like to thank everyone for voting and I believe that these decisions will be an excellent addition to the foundation of how we brand Georgia Regents University Augusta," said Georgia Health Sciences University President Ricardo Azziz.

The primary logo uses the letters " GRU" together with a version of the Proxima Nova font that was specifically modified to convey a sense of unity. Under the letters, the full name of the university is listed, Georgia Regents University, in Sophia font, and "Augusta" below it in Friz Quadrata font, which was the font used in the original Augusta State University logo.

"We wanted to create a sense of unity and a collaborative feel to reflect the consolidation of the two universities," said Beverly Andersen, Chief Strategy Officer for Trend Influence, the Atlanta-based company that designed the logos. "But we wanted it to look unique and not like any other logo out there." 

She also noted that including elements, like the font from Augusta State University's logo, is a nod to the important history inside the primary symbol that will represent the new university.

The branded seal that was chosen uses a san serif font to create a legible symbol that expresses the vision of the university, with acknowledgement to the legacy of the two schools. The seal prominently displays the Arsenal Oak from the current Augusta State University logo and the old Medical College of Georgia building from the current Georgia Health Sciences University logo.

"We wanted to make it contemporary, but still simple and timeless," Andersen said about the seal. "We looked at many seals, and this one is more graphically appealing than most that are out there. We wanted it to be something that is unique, but that you could use to represent both the history and the vision for the new university." 

The seal also features an original piece of art called the Unity Flame. The flame design is based loosely on an old Maori symbol that means "eternal bond," called the Pikorua, combined with the classic flame/torch symbol.

"The Unity Flame is a piece of custom artwork that is unique to only Georgia Regents University Augusta," Andersen said. "It is symbolic of the joining of the two schools into one entity, but also symbolic of the ideas behind the universities, from the arts and humanities to business, education, the health sciences and more, joining into one complete being. It is inspired by the symbols of life and growth."

Andersen believes that the Unity Flame could become a recognizable breakout symbol that is synonymous with Georgia Regents University.

The colors that were chosen were a rich dark blue and a silver gray. The blue may look very familiar, as it is the same blue that Augusta State University currently uses. 

"Both universities have a history with the color blue and we felt it would be a mistake to move away from that," Andersen said. "Blue symbolizes trust, intelligence and authority. That matches perfectly with the silver gray that symbolizes security, reliability and maturity. And even beyond the symbolism, these colors work very well together from an aesthetic standpoint."

Senior Vice President for Communications and Marketing David Brond echoes Azziz's words of thanks to the community.

"I want to thank the individuals who participated in this voting process," he said. "Many elements in the designs selected by this vote highlight the rich history of the two schools, while being unique standalone pieces that reflect the vision of our new university.

These branding and identity pieces will be a visual representation of who and what we are, but this is really only the tip of the iceberg as we continue to create, manage and live the university brand."