KENNEDY ELEMENTARY Rebranding

clients
Kennedy Elementary / Omaha Public School District / 75 North Revitalization

objectives:
Howard Kennedy Elementary is a staple along the 30th St corridor in North Omaha. In the changing landscape of the newly formed "Highlander" neighborhood, Kennedy needed a facelift to also lift the spirits of the kids, families and staff of the school. The goal was to create a look and feel tantamount to a collegiate or pro team that fans go wild for—why should kids not feel the same way about their school and the work they are doing there?. 

what was so RDQLUS
creative direction / branding / identity design / environmental graphics & way finding / mural


Kennedy Elementary is a long-standing school in North Omaha, where many of the people in the neighborhood—young and old—have passed through. By way of the new neighborhood revitalization spearheaded by 75 North, Kennedy falls within the boundaries of the newly minted "Highlander" area. As such, RDQLUS CREATIVE was tapped to revitalize and refresh the brand of the school. This may seem a trivial thing, but the importance and impact of education is supported and advanced when the people—parents, students, staff and administration—are proud of what they see and represent each and every day. The roles of school identity, logo and mascot all work together to create a vibe that permeates nearly ever facet of a school's existence.

The brand was created with the mindset of making it look like the top-notch branding of a major university or professional sports team—both of which we all easily identify with in terms of pride, energy and loyalty. When someone sees "KENNEDY," the best compliment the parents, students & staff could get is to have someone assume it's a major program in competition with the likes of local universities Creighton or Omaha University. To which they can answer, proudly, "No. This is our elementary school."