Since its founding in 1969, the Naval War College Foundation has been steadfast in its dedication to the mission of the U.S. Naval War College. And throughout the past fifty years, the NWCF has counted on the patriotic and philanthropic spirit of its members and donors to enrich and advance the educational excellence of the College.

Recently, we recognized the need to better align our brand — both our visual identity and our messaging — with the values that drive that patriotic and philanthropic spirit. So we embarked on a rebranding effort that would honor the legacy of the past while more effectively representing the modern day partnership that exists between the NWCF and the Naval War College.

To accomplish this goal, the NWCF partnered with ForwardPMX, a global brand performance agency. Working together, we began our research within the Foundation and then extended outward to partners, supporters, social media and beyond, gathering critical information on how to better communicate our mission in the current landscape.

Informed by months of research, we developed a brand structure based on three factors: why we act, where we focus, and how we follow through. We then added to it key messaging points and finalized it by defining a tone that helps us communicate with a unified voice.

The Naval War College Foundation, powered by its generous members and donors, provides critical funds needed to support the Naval War College’s unique ability to develop military and civilian leaders who are:

–  Skilled in the strategic and operational challenges of today and tomorrow.

–  Dedicated to preserving national security and a global position of leadership.

–  Adept at navigating the challenges of war and prevention of war.

Finally, we addressed the most visible elements of the brand identity: the logo and tagline. The visual identity that had been used since the Foundation’s inception portrayed an eagle with an anchor, encircled with a roped seal and colored blue and bronze. The Naval War College, however, uses a completely different visual, with a shield and trident being its most distinctive and memorable elements. The College colors are also brighter, using a golden yellow with rich blue. By combining the College colors with the most distinctive elements of both logos — the eagle, anchor, and “trident shield” — we arrived at a contemporary mark that better represents the Foundation and its relationship to the College.

For the tagline, we knew we wanted something clear, memorable, and aligned with the Foundation’s mission. That tagline is:

Educate Today. Secure Tomorrow.

Throughout this effort, we were always focused on you, our generous members and donors, and why you support the Naval War College. With that support, you are protecting our leaders’ ability to navigate conflict and negotiate for peace. You are investing in a nation and a world that is safer and more enriching for everyone. We thank you for your commitment to the Naval War College and to the Naval War College Foundation.