Client:
University of Western Sydney
(renamed to Western Sydney University)
Studio:
Citizen
Role:
Brand audit
Competitor analysis
Brand positioning
Identity design
Despite being Australia’s third largest and fastest growing economy, the broader region of Western Sydney and the University has suffered from many negative stereotypes. Additionally, changes within the Australian tertiary education sector see the need for Universities to become more competitive as government funding is decreased and the need to attract international students.
The new brand captures the essence of hard work, determination, optimism, boldness and creativity. Formerly called ‘University of Western Sydney’, the university’s name change signalled a bold new vision for Western Sydney. A strong sense of place is reflected through the typographic hierarchy, with the shield signifying a modern version of academic excellence and the curved based of the ‘w’ adding a subtle reference to the region’s landscape.
In the 6 months since launch, there has been an increase in first preference ranking by school leavers and an increase of 35% in inbound international student enquiries compared to the previous year. Within the first week of launch, the university store sold out of branded sweatshirts.