The Olentangy Local School District has experienced considerable growth over the years. That growth has shown no signs of slowing down, and as such, OLSD felt the time was right to refresh the district’s brand to better represent the current culture of the district, as well as its future.

During Thursday’s Olentangy Board of Education meeting, OLSD Communications Director Krista Davis presented the district’s new brand identity, which included a new logo, tagline, and “brand pillars” that defined the district’s standard. OLSD partnered with Cult Marketing to design the new brand.

“In the last decade, our district has experienced unprecedented growth, increased diversity, academic excellence, and so much more,” Davis said. “Our brand defines our culture, so it’s essential that it accurately represents who we are, what we believe, and what we value.”

The logo features what the district describes as “abstract figures with reaching arms that repeat in a circular star shape.”

“The reaching arms reflect the essence of achievement and success, the color of the reaching arms — in Olentangy blue and turquoise — represent each student’s individual personal success, and the circular shape of the illustration reflects how each individual contributes to the ‘One Olentangy’ community,” a district press release states.

The accompanying tagline with the new logo simply states, “Flourish Here.” The word “flourish” was chosen because its definition best describes “the energy of Olentangy Schools,” the press release states.

Staff, students, and members of the community all participated in various focus groups to help define the personality of the district ahead of the rebranding. The common themes of those groups defined the brand pillars, which include opportunity, community, educational excellence, personal achievement, pride and exceptional value.

“The pillars clearly outline key benefits and competitive differentiators of our district today and in the years to come,” Davis said during the meeting.

During the reveal, Davis was asked about the use of the “Block O” logo that is often used unofficially around the district. Davis said that one of the goals of the rebranding is to create a new revenue stream for the district through trademarking and licensing. Because of The Ohio State University’s strict trademarking rules, the district would never be able to sell the “Block O” logo or anything in its likeness.

She went on to say the rebranding process — and the need to be able to trademark — extends beyond just the district’s new logo and includes individual school logos, some of which may be trademarked by professional teams or collegiate programs.

Superintendent Mark Raiff said of the rebranding, “The board, district senior leadership, and the Olentangy community was united on its desire to rebrand the school district and firmly believed it would be a positive investment in the future of Olentangy Schools.”

He added, “Like any organization, including school districts, we are in the business of putting our best foot forward and controlling and sustaining our success and growth. I’m grateful for the hard work and dedication that went into this effort, and I’m confident we will continue to live up to our new brand identity; that everyone — staff, students and the Olentangy community — will flourish here.”