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Our Brand

 

These guidelines provide a shared framework for expressing the University of Arizona brand through consistent messaging, design, and storytelling.

 

A Shared Story

Every day, thousands of people form opinions about the University of Arizona.

Some tour our campus for the first time. Some read a news story about a breakthrough discovery. Some scroll past a social media post, attend an event, receive an email, or open a brochure. Each of those moments tells a story about who we are.

This guide is designed to help us tell that story with intention.

Grounded in years of brand research and strategy, these guidelines provide a shared framework for communicating the University of Arizona across every channel and audience. They are intended for marketers, communicators, designers, writers, photographers, videographers, web teams, campus partners, and anyone who creates official university content.

The goal is not to make everything look or sound the same. It is to ensure that everything unmistakably feels like Arizona.

That work begins with our four defining brand pillars.

U of A sign during a sunset

Brand Pillars

These pillars inform more than messaging. They influence how we write, design, photograph, illustrate, present, and engage with our audiences. Paired with a personality that is confident, optimistic, compassionate, curious, and determined, they create a consistent experience across every touchpoint.

An Enduring Legacy

 

Founded in 1885 – before Arizona was even a state – the University of Arizona is the most storied institution in the southwest. We claim prestige because we’ve earned it – through persistence and a proven record in the classroom, the lab and athletic competition. While we take great pride in past accomplishments, we remain ambitious and focused on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the greater good.

Shaped by the Sonoran Desert

 

The Sonoran Desert isn’t just where we are – it’s part of who we are. Distinct, demanding, and inspiring, ours is a truly singular environment. Its lands and its people transform how we live, learn and lead in ways that can’t be replicated anywhere else. From this foundation, we drive impact that is felt across the state, the nation and the world.

Excellence Without Pretense

 

We’re an impressive community of world-class minds as approachable as we are accomplished. Our drive to collaborate and co-create fuels innovation and a shared commitment to meaningful impact.

Bear Down, Build Up

 

Our community is defined by the resolve and tenacity it takes to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Here, we don’t buckle; we bear down and break through every challenge, together.

Putting the Brand Into Practice

These guidelines establish common standards while leaving room for creativity, experimentation, and fresh ideas. The best work rarely comes from following a formula; it comes from understanding the principles well enough to apply them thoughtfully.

The University of Arizona's story is too broad and too dynamic to be told by any one campaign or communicator. 

It takes all of us. And that's what this guide is here to support.

Three students wearing U of A gear

Ready to Tell Arizona's story?

Download the Brand Guidelines PDF to explore our complete toolkit of visual and verbal brand elements.

Download the Brand Guidelines

Last updated August 2026