Boomerang

Just Do It. Where’s the beef? What happens here, stays here.

There is nothing like a good tagline. And for organizations that develop (or stumble upon) a t-shirt-worthy one, a good tagline can boost brand value considerably. So what happens when an organization with a noteworthy catch phrase decides it’s time to refresh and rework its image? Do they drop kick their slogan and hope for the best, or use it as the cornerstone of the new identity? 

The United Negro College Fund opted for the latter. After four years of research and planning, UNCF decided to keep one of its most defining assets when it unveiled its new look on January 17. Since grabbing the public’s attention with the phrase, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” in 1971, UNCF has become an icon in American history, as the largest private minority education assistance program in the nation. But after 30 years, while the tagline and the public’s admiration for the brand endured, UNCF’s ability to convey its ever-expanding mission to key audiences dwindled, creating a need for a facelift.  

The new identity of UNCF, created by Landor Associates, is designed to help clarify the mission and vision of the organization and increase its relevancy with its past, current and future beneficiaries. UNCF’s new logo features an updated torch, the use of color, and its acronym, rather than its full name (similar to AARP, formerly the American Association for Retired Persons). 

Michael L. Lomax, UNCF’s president and chief executive, explained that the elimination of the full name was a nod to change in nomenclature since the 70s, as many African Americans no longer identify with the word “Negro.” Using just “UNCF” is a way for the organization to speak to its current stakeholders, without losing its heritage. 

The tagline is another story. According to The New York Times, “Surveys conducted for the organization suggest that the ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’ motto enjoys ‘exceptionally strong’ recognition by the public, but that only 56 percent of people make the connection between the slogan and UNCF. Mr. Lomax hopes the new campaign will tie everything together in the mind of the public.”  

While it may not ring true for a majority of organizations, UNCF recognized that the tagline transcended the brand, and is using it to help drive awareness in the wake of its redesign. A wise move, in my mind, because a good tagline is also a terrible thing to waste.