Welcome to the new and improved look of SV Babel! We are excited to unveil our rebranded logo, which beautifully captures our core focus on linguistics and academics, while paying homage to our roots in the city of Utrecht.
The Evolution of Our Logo
For many years, our logo featured the Dom Tower, Utrecht’s iconic landmark and the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. This design element was chosen to represent both the city of Utrecht and the Tower of Babel, from which our association derives its name. However, a recurring issue was that people often mistook us for a touristic company promoting Utrecht, rather than an academic organization dedicated to the study of linguistics.
To address this, we decided to refine our logo to better reflect our identity and mission. The new logo retains elements of the original design but ‘zooms in’ on what SV Babel truly represents: the pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence in the field of linguistics.
Introducing the Wug: A Symbol of Knowledge
In the latest iteration of our logo, we have taken a literal approach to ‘zooming in’ by focusing on the top of the Dom Tower. Traditionally, a wind vane depicting St. Martin on a horse sits at the pinnacle of the tower. In our redesigned logo, we have replaced this with a wug – a whimsical creature from the famous Wug Test created by Dr. Jean Berko-Gleason, symbolizing language learning and cognitive development.
To add a touch of character and to signify the pursuit of higher learning, the wug in our logo is adorned with little wings. This imagery beautifully encapsulates our commitment to advancing knowledge within the field of linguistics.
Logo Evolution
Here is a visual journey of our logo’s evolution over the years:
Original Logo:
Second Iteration:
Current Logo:
Copyright and Permissions
We are aware that the wug is a registered trademark image owned by Dr. Jean Berko-Gleason. We are pleased to inform that SV Babel has contacted Dr. Berko-Gleason and secured a royalty-free contract to use the wug for our branding purposes. This agreement allows us to incorporate this meaningful symbol into our logo, further reinforcing our academic focus and dedication to the study of linguistics. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Jean Berko-Gleason for her groundbreaking work and for graciously granting us permission to use the wug in our branding. Her contributions to linguistics continue to inspire and guide us.
You will also notice the registered copyright symbol in our logo, which reflects our respect for intellectual property rights and our commitment to ethical practices in our branding efforts.
We hope you embrace our new logo as much as we do. It is a testament to our ongoing commitment to linguistics, academic excellence, and the vibrant community we serve. Thank you for your continued support of SV Babel!
For any inquiries or further information, please feel free to contact us.
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