Emerson’s brand symbols offer additional ways to express the spirit, history, and character of the College. Each has a distinct role and can be used selectively to add meaning and variety across communications and merchandise.
These symbols are not primary logos and should not replace the Emerson College logo. When a brand symbol is used, the Emerson College name should appear elsewhere in the application to maintain a clear connection to the College.
College Seal
The Emerson College seal is an enduring symbol of the College’s history and institutional identity. Rooted in the historic Emerson family crest and used by the College since the 1880s, the seal has evolved many times throughout Emerson’s history while retaining its distinctive heraldic character.
The latest iteration honors that legacy while bringing the seal into Emerson’s new brand identity. It features the Emerson College name, the motto “Expression Necessary to Evolution,” the founding year 1880, and the historic crest with three marching lions. Atop the crest, the historic lion has evolved from carrying a battle axe to carrying the Emerson flag, creating the Flag Bearer: an optimistic, modern expression of school spirit that symbolizes Emersonians and alumni carrying the College forward and bringing the Emerson spirit out into the world.
As an official institutional mark, the seal is used primarily for institutional and leadership applications, including presidential and executive communications, official College materials, ceremonial uses, and other communications that represent Emerson at the institutional level. Its use should be reserved for applications that call for a sense of history, tradition, authority, or institutional significance, and it should always be reproduced using approved seal artwork.
Flag-bearer
The Flag Bearer represents Emersonians carrying the College forward and bringing the Emerson spirit out into the world. Designed primarily for Alumni and Institutional Advancement communications and merchandise, it offers a spirited connection to the Emerson community and the shared experience of being an Emersonian.
Waving Flag
Extracted from the Flag Bearer symbol, the Waving Flag offers a simple, spirited expression of Emerson pride. It is intended primarily for merchandise and Student Affairs applications, where it can help create a sense of community, belonging, and school pride.
The Waving Flag can be used as a supporting visual element to bring energy and movement to an application, but should not replace the Emerson College logo as a primary identifier.