Seminary’s Marketing and Communications Office Presented with the DeRose-Hinkhouse Award of Excellence for Logo and Branding Development
April 13, 2020
Shane Nichols, assistant vice president of marketing and communications, and Tasha Sargent, assistant director of marketing and communications, received an Award of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) for their work in logo and branding development for Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Held annually, the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards are given to active members of RCC who demonstrate excellence in religious communication and public relations.
As part of the evolution of the seminary and its brand, a new logo and branding guidelines were rolled out to all constituents in the fall of 2019. Working with the Evanston-based firm, Glantz Design, the challenge was to put a fresh twist on an institution that is 166 years old. What started with over 25 concepts was first narrowed to nine and ultimately to one. Since then, Nichols and Sargent embarked upon a three-month rollout of the new logo and brand creating new stationery and collateral, admissions materials, logo and branding guidelines, and more. The feedback from constituents across the entire organization has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Speaking as both an alum and an employee of the seminary for over 15 years, it has been an awesome responsibility to rebrand such a historic and beloved institution and one that we did not take lightly,” said Nichols. “To be recognized by fellow religion communicators with an Award of Excellence brings a great deal of affirmation for the work and we are thrilled to receive this honor.”
This year, RCC received over 250 entries in nine categories for the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards. Each entry was judged on overall quality, including concept, writing, design, creativity, style, use of color, appropriateness of material for intended audience, creative use of resources, and effectiveness in achieving its purpose. This year’s panel of judges included professionals from educational institutions, religious organizations, and private advertising and marketing teams.
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary has been a proud member of the RCC for over 10 years. Founded in 1929, the RCC is a professional association whose mission is to provide opportunities for networking and professional development for people working in communications for a wide variety of faith-based organizations. RCC recognizes and cultivates excellence in communications of religious faith and values, as well as advances the public’s religious literacy.
A complete list of the 2020 DeRose-Hinkhouse award winners can be found at https://religioncommunicators.org/derose-hinkhouse-awards/.
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.