FREEMAN HIGH SCHOOL
Rebrand
Create a new mascot and visual identity
Cliff Notes
THE ASK: Create a new mascot and develop a visual identity for Freeman High School.
THE CONFLICT: While some people feel alienated by Freeman's long standing "Rebel" mascot and push for change, others worry that the school's identity will be lost in a new nickname.
THE RESOLUTION: A more inclusive mascot that embodies the same Freeman spirit.
THE BACKGROUND
Freeman is a public high school in Richmond, Virginia. Since opening in 1954, Freeman’s mascot has been the “Rebels”. However, a number of cultural factors including other successful school renaming efforts, a summer of equity focused activism around the country, and a shift in local sentiment around vestiges of the confederacy, resulted in a push to change the Rebel mascot.
THE SITUATION
While many people supported a nickname change, a large percentage of the Freeman community grew attached to the Rebel mascot. This caused tension between two vocally divided camps: those who resisted change due to fear of losing Freeman's identity and those who never felt accepted by the mascot in the first place.
OUR APPROACH
Focus Groups
STUDENTS
COACHES
COMMITTEE
Interviews
SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE
FORMER PRINCIPAL
ATHLETIC BOOSTER PRESIDENT
FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Survey
1,000+ RESPONSES
CONSUMER INSIGHT:
People believed that the Rebel nickname was what supported Freeman's identity, and they saw themselves in that identity.
Without the Rebel, Freeman would be lost.
DISCOVERY
Freeman's identity is not rooted in its nickname; it's rooted in the spirit of it.
OPPORTUNITY
Retain the Freeman identity by repurposing the same spirit and values the Rebel had come to embody in a new, inclusive nickname.
SO, WHAT HAD THE REBEL COME TO EMBODY?
CRITERIA OF CONSIDERATION
PILLAR 1
Enduring Connection
All Freeman community members can identify with the nickname
PILLAR 2
Collective Identity
Ability to live on its own, but stronger as a group
PILLAR 3
Purposeful Movement
Symbolize the act of moving forward with intent
PILLAR 4
Retain Values
Retain the school's core values: family, pride, excellence, and intensity
PILLAR 5
Unique & Timeless
Tread the line between traditional and modern
