During the summer of 2020, Bemidji State University’s Office of Communications & Marketing partnered with Adventure Creative, a full-service branding and marketing agency based in Minneapolis, to develop a new and distinctive brand narrative for the university. The goal was to more closely align BSU’s brand identity with the 2018-2023 strategic plan, which in part seeks to distinguish the university by emphasizing unique themes of place.

Adventure took the challenge to heart and embarked on the opportunity to situate Bemidji State as “Minnesota’s premier north woods university.” The team worked together to reinforce the university’s already strong brand foundation by identifying a revised color palette and textures inspired directly by the natural majesty which surrounds the campus, a slightly updated logo (can you spot the difference?) and official fonts, patterns and photography styles that create a cohesive look and feel.

The refreshed identity is being demonstrated as part of a campaign entitled “Find Out,” which challenges prospective students and others to take action and find the answers they seek — who they are and where their passions lie, while embracing life in Minnesota’s north woods along the shores of Lake Bemidji.

An excerpt from the brand manual for the campaign reads:

You wouldn’t be the first person to consider wandering into the wilderness in the hope of coming out transformed. What is it about BSU that is magical, that invites you to ditch your assumptions, pack in bigger questions and more fully inform your aspirations? It’s not like answers grow on trees or are carried by the wind. (Or are they?) We believe the drive to acquire knowledge and develop greater wisdom is already in your nature. You simply need to find the right people and environment to help nurture it. Here, we invite you to come as you are, transform into whatever you can imagine and follow your own path. The question is, how can you make the world a better place than you found it?

Find out.

This message works equally well for you, our alumni and friends. What are you seeking and how can Bemidji State University help guide your way? Find out at Minnesota’s premier north woods university.