Syracuse University
© Brand Design Evolution
Project Overview
Client: Syracuse University
Agency: Loyalkaspar (LK)
Campaign Tag Line: “Explore every side”
Motion Theme: Discovery
Agency HQ: New York, NY
Animated Icons: ~200 created
Services: Visual identity development, Motion design system, Campaign design
• Prospective Students
• GenZ Donors
• Alumni
• Campus Community
Tone
• Optimistic
· Welcoming
· Inspiring
Audience
Overview
Syracuse University is a private research university based in Syracuse, New York. In an ongoing relationship with Loyal Kaspar (LK), the agency has developed a comprehensive motion design system and campaign toolkit to help SU’s marketing team reach prospective students, current students, and donors across social media, TV, and digital signage.
Objective
Evolve the Syracuse University brand toolkit for motion campaigns across social media, TV, and signage — then leverage these tools to build high-impact digital campaigns targeted both to prospective students and to donors and the current student body.
Backstory
For universities to attract the candidates they want, they need to successfully convey who they are and what they stand for through the channels teenagers actually use. This insight drove the entire approach — building a system optimized for social and digital-first contexts rather than traditional print.
Research
Before beginning work, LK examined the competitive landscape — analyzing how and what other relevant university brands were communicating. A discovery report was presented to Syracuse along with initial ideas on how to best reflect their brand attributes through marketing across social and digital channels.
Strategy & Motion Theme: Discovery
The key word LK used to distill Syracuse’s brand positioning in a way that could be interpreted in motion was “discovery.” To find common ground between brand attributes like ‘bold’ and ‘welcoming,’ the motion design needed to blend hard and soft motion in the reveal of the hero “S.”
In logo stings, the S form emerges from a single angle, giving it the feeling of emerging and unfurling. The offset branches of the S give it an organic quality — welcoming warmth consistent with the brand. Whatever the element being animated, the system strives to express the feeling of opening up, revealing more layers, or lifting the viewer in a way that evokes the “Ah-ha!” moment associated with learning and discovery.
Motion Toolkit
Syracuse uses a range of logo treatments depending on context — a heritage seal for formal occasions, the block S for prospective student outreach. LK built custom motion toolkits ranging from formal to expressive, varying in typography use and movement. Three named motion styles:
The Hop
Upward motion; an homage to SU’s athletic mascot Otto (the Otto Hop).
The Lift
Elements rise with a sense of elevation and aspiration.
The Reveal
Uses the angles in the S logo to progressively unveil content.
Campaign: “Explore Every Side”
LK developed a campaign around the line “Explore every side” — aimed at highlighting the multi-faceted opportunities that set Syracuse apart from competing universities. The work was rolled out across social media and digital platforms targeting prospective students.
Alongside the prospective student campaign, LK developed a separate design and animation system for longer-form pieces directed at alumni and donors — allowing SU to feature key institutional stats in a dynamic and impactful way.
Quote
“The exceptional quality of your work has significantly streamlined our process.
You are amazing, and thank you so much!”
Deliverables
Brand & Motion System
Motion design system built around the “Discovery” theme
Logo animation — S reveal from single angle
Heritage seal animation
End tag animation
Three motion toolkit styles: The Hop, The Lift, The Reveal
Typography motion guidelines
Guidelines & Toolkits
Precise grid systems for lower thirds, typography, color, logos
Messaging toolkits for SU marketing team
Library of ~200 animated icons (for info loops and university communications)
Campaign
Campaign concept and design: “Explore every side”
Social media and digital campaign assets (prospective students)
Design and animation system for alumni/donor-targeted long-form pieces
Key stats animation system
About the Agency
Loyalkaspar (LK) is a branding and marketing agency headquartered in New York, NY (93 Pearl Street, 3rd Floor). The agency has operated since 2003 and works across brand identity, design, and marketing for clients across a range of industries.
Categories: Brand design · Motion design · Higher education · Syracuse University · Campaign design · Animated icons · Social media · Loyal Kaspar · Ongoing relationship
FAQ
In an ongoing relationship with Syracuse University, Loyalkaspar (LK) built a comprehensive motion design system, campaign toolkit, and animated icon library — empowering SU’s marketing team to reach prospective students, current students, and alumni across social media, TV, and digital signage.
About the Project
What was the core challenge LK was brought in to solve for Syracuse University?
Syracuse needed to evolve its brand toolkit for the digital and social-first world — specifically to reach prospective students (teenagers) who discover universities through social media and video, not print brochures. The challenge was building a motion design system flexible enough to serve multiple audiences: prospective students, current students, and alumni and donors, all with different expectations and contexts.
What is the nature of LK's relationship with Syracuse University?
It's an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off project. LK has developed tools over time to help the SU marketing team bring campaigns to life independently — meaning the agency has functioned as a long-term creative partner, not just a vendor delivering a single deliverable.
How did LK develop the strategic approach for Syracuse?
LK began with a competitive landscape analysis — examining how other relevant university brands were communicating across social and digital. A discovery report was presented to Syracuse before any design began, ensuring the strategy was grounded in the actual competitive environment rather than assumptions.
Why did LK choose a documentary style for the spots?
A documentary verité approach reinforces the authenticity of the stories being told. Rather than staging campus life, the style lets subjects speak naturally, which makes the brand attributes feel earned rather than asserted. For a university whose brand essence is the 'poised pursuit of good,' that authenticity is the message.
What does 'Discovery' mean as a motion theme?
Discovery was the single word LK used to distill Syracuse's brand positioning in a way that could be expressed through motion. It bridges two brand attributes that might seem in tension — 'bold' and 'welcoming' — by using a motion language that blends hard and soft movement. The S logo emerges from a single angle, giving it the feeling of unfurling; typography opens up and reveals itself; everything moves in a way designed to evoke the 'Ah-ha!' moment of learning something new.
The Motion System
Why are there three named motion styles — The Hop, The Lift, and The Reveal?
Syracuse uses different logo treatments depending on context — a heritage seal for formal occasions, the block S for student-facing outreach. The motion system needed the same range. The three named styles give the internal marketing team a clear vocabulary for which motion approach fits which context, without needing to brief the agency on every execution. The Otto Hop is also a deliberate nod to SU's athletic mascot, grounding the system in the school's culture.
What is the animated icon library and why does it matter?
LK created a library of approximately 200 animated icons for use in info loops and university communications. This is a significant production asset — it means SU's team can create dynamic, on-brand content for a wide range of topics without starting from scratch each time. It's the kind of infrastructure investment that pays dividends across years of ongoing communications.
How does the system serve different audiences — prospective students vs. alumni and donors?
The motion toolkit was designed with range built in. For prospective students, the system powers social-first, energetic content under the 'Explore every side' campaign. For alumni and donors, LK developed a separate design and animation system for longer-form pieces that feature key institutional stats in a dynamic, impactful way — a more authoritative register that still feels consistent with the broader brand.
Working with LK
Can LK build systems that internal teams can use independently?
Yes — and that's a central part of the value LK delivers for clients like Syracuse. Rather than creating finished assets for every use case, LK builds toolkits: precise grid systems, motion guidelines, icon libraries, and messaging frameworks that the client's own team can deploy consistently across channels and formats. The goal is to leave the client more capable, not more dependent.
Does LK work with other higher education clients?
Yes. Syracuse and Fordham University are both strong examples of LK's higher education work. Both engagements involved motion design systems and campaigns targeting prospective students, though each required a distinct strategic approach and creative platform. The Fordham campaign produced a 23% increase in applications — far exceeding the national benchmark of 5% growth.
How do we get started with a project like this?
Reach out to David Herbruck, CEO, at david@loyalkaspar.com — or contact John Levy, Head of Business Development , at john.levy@loyalkaspar.com LK's office is at 93 Pearl Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10004.