Alpha Omicron Pi
Branding

Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women’s fraternity founded in 1897 at Barnard College, which was the first college in New York — and one of the first in the nation — to offer women the same educational opportunities as men. The four Alpha Omicron Pi founders were ambitious in their educational pursuit and have inspired more than 191,000 members to join their mission of enriching lives through lifelong friendship.

While the fraternity has experience significant growth in recent years, their brand image was stuck in the past. Focus groups determined the brand was dated and no longer embodied the energy of current members. Alpha Omicron Pi hired Rhyme & Reason Design to complete a comprehensive brand overhaul, including a new logo, tagline, business system materials, website and promotional videos. As the Account Executive assigned to the project, I supported and educated our client through this year-long project. The end result beautifully displayed a powerful brand identity, while discretely tying it all back to the Alpha Omicron Pi ritual.

Research & Immersion

To fully understand the past, present and future of Alpha Omicron Pi, I completed a research deck comprised of social media trends, brand usage and a competitive analysis of the Greek landscape. I attended the 2016 Alpha Omicron Pi Leadership Institute to host focus groups with key stakeholders; including the Executive Board, Foundation Board, Properties Board, Leadership Consultants and Chapter Presidents. All research was compiled and presented to the fraternity to provide an outside perspective on the success of their current brand and a vision for the future.

Logo Design & Tagline Selection

Through focus groups we discovered that current high school and college students gravitate toward bold and powerful words and images. The previous dark and gothic logo did not fit this aesthetic and the tagline Exceed the Expectations had simply run its course. The new tagline Inspire Ambition was crafted to attract potential new members, but still resonate with current collegiate and alumnae members.

Before and After

Brand Development

Now that we had a brand image solidified, I partnered with the Foundation and Properties staff and volunteers to create cohesive brand image across the three major branches of the organization. Each entity carries the same primary logo, with differing taglines, color palettes and patterns to highlight each group. Alternate versions of the logo were created (i.e. Greek letters) to add versatility on multiple platforms.

A full business system suite was created; including letterhead, envelopes, business cards, thank you cards, notepads, etc. I crafted the content for a comprehensive brand standards guide with detailed usage instructions for members to follow while building out their own branded materials.