The Catholic University of America, with its new Lead with Light brand — complete with uplifting messages and dynamic imagery that reflects the vibrancy of life on campus — is creating greater awareness of an academic institution that has called Washington, D.C., home for 137 years.
“Our new brand platform, ‘Lead with Light,’ encapsulates who we are as an institution, highlighting our dedication to academic excellence, a warm and welcoming community, and where Christ is at the center of everything we do,” said University President Peter Kilpatrick. “We are proudly proclaiming to the world that this University has momentum and that we are leading the way in providing an authentically Catholic education where our students thrive.”
The Lead with Light brand launches with an advertising takeover in Metro Center and CUA-Brookland subway stations in Washington, D.C., at Reagan National Airport, on commuter bus wraps, and with new flag banners hanging across the Catholic University campus. Additional elements of the brand — including merchandise and marketing materials — will roll out through the year, culminating in the brand defining the look and feel of the University.
The brand retains the University’s traditional blue and red colors, but additional vibrant shades make the palette more interesting and give it energy.
“Our entire community contributed in one way or other to this brand effort. From focus groups, surveys, and impromptu chats on the sidewalk, we engaged with students, faculty, and staff to get their thoughts, ideas, and input,” Vice President of University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer Karna Lozoya. “The result of our collective two-year conversation about who we are and how we are perceived is Lead with Light — a brand that truly reflects who we are as The Catholic University of America.”