of pride that’s built into Pine Crest’s 75 years of history.” To do so, De Vito and his team pored over countless Pine Crest publications, materials, and archival photos – some of which dated back to the ’30s and ’40s – to emotionally connect with the School and get a sense of its history. The result was an impressive series of academic logos that look collegiate in nature. “Pine Crest School has an undeniable stature, scale, and pride one does not find in our educational tier,” affirms Zimmerman. “The new brand reflects that, communicating that Pine Crest acts and behaves like a university within the world of high schools.” Zimmerman’s team retained the iconic bell tower within the academic logos, along with the mantra of “Education, Character, and Leadership.” However, it made Pine Crest’s shade of green darker and richer while adding gold as an accent to the traditional green and white. “The gold, as a third color element, adds prestige and a little pop to the academic series, and excitement and dimension to the athletic logos and uniforms,” says De Vito. “The use of gold as accent helps enhance the richness of the green.” The athletic logos were a little more challenging because they called for a whole new design. When Zimmerman’s team
began looking at what Pine Crest had used up to that point, they found dozens of different panther incarnations. It doesn’t take someone like Jordan Zimmerman to tell you that inconsistency equals a weak brand. So De Vito and his colleagues introduced a whole new panther created from scratch – an original creation which no other high school or college can claim. “This new panther is proud, strong, and even a little intimidating but,” laughs De Vito, “not excessively aggressive or violent.” The new athletic logos made their debut on February 5 when the boys’ varsity basketball team played a nationally televised game against Winter Park, Florida on ESPN2. The team wore its new uniforms for the first time (produced specifically for that game) and was supported by hundreds of fans in attendance, 400 of whom were wearing white t-shirts emblazoned with the new green and gold artwork. Not only was the brand receiving firsttime exposure to people all over the world, but so was Pine Crest School. It was the perfect setting for the School to reveal its new look. “Having a clear academic and athletic brand in the marketplace now enables Pine Crest to differentiate itself in our presentation to the world at large,” explains Boig, whose Advancement Office oversees the integrity of the brand by making sure the
The original Pine Crest School Athletic logo
logos are used according to the guidelines set forth by Zimmerman and the School. “We are working hard to ensure that our communication and messaging reflects the engaging, creative, and meaningful teaching and learning that is the trademark of a Pine Crest education,” adds Head of School Dale Smith. “The apparel with the new logos has been very popular with the students,” notes Lisa Goldberg, a Pine Crest parent and the head of the Spirit Store on the Fort Lauderdale campus. “Our black hooded sweatshirts with the new panther head sold out in a week.” In addition, those who were wearing the white t-shirts at the game televised on ESPN2 purchased them from the Spirit Store, another indication that the student body is embracing the new look. What does this mean? Well, according to Zimmerman’s group, it’s the realization of a goal they had all along. “When you look at Nike, you don’t just think of shoes,” says De Vito, “you think about an experience – feeling the thrill of sport and victory – which means that brand has transcended its own products. I’m confident that the logos we’ve developed will do that, too. They’re sophisticated, modern, powerful, and they accurately reflect the excellence that is synonymous with Pine Crest School.”
The new Pine Crest School Athletic logo
Pine Crest Magazine Spring 2010
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