ASU Reveals “New” Sparky, Its Own Font, and a Semi-Redesigned Fork

Evidently “it’s time” to give a big round of applause to the ASU marketing machine for stirring the pot and getting everyone to talk and anticipate a redesign of its athletic department for the past two weeks.

On a spotlit, fog-machined, scaffold-lined stage on the ASU Tempe campus, Vice President of Athletics, Lisa Love and Sparky the Sun Devil (in a tux) showcased the University’s re-branded athletic campaign this afternoon, which was made up of a new font, a new fork, and a few new uniforms.

Yawn.

Let’s start with the font …

Love described the font, Sun Devil Bold, as “simple, classy, tasteful, and to the point.” The font’s serifs are meant to resemble the devil’s horns. Too bad the glowy font that runs the “e” and “v” together in “devil” isn’t going to help athletes be able to spell “Sun Devil” on their resumes

She continued on with the new “bold, iconic mark” of the Sun Devil — The Pitchfork. ASU played a brief video of the pitchfork with a sappy voice-over describing the once-symbol of the gods and war, as a present icon representing the past, present and future of the University. While it’s a little curvier in places and has a strange maroon cape in the background, we’re pretty sure students will still be forking each other with the three-fingered hand sign. 

In a final parade, athletes representing each of the athletic teams walked a small catwalk showing off their new uniforms (and sunglasses, in one case). Yep, the football team got a new black one, slightly shorter shorts, and a hideous gradient on the front and back numbers, and every jersey sported a small Nike “Swoosh.”

Hey Marketing Department, call me back when Sparky loses the creepy mustache.

Follow Jackalope Ranch on Facebook and Twitter.