For Immediate Release

PhilippeBecker Design Creates New Visual Identity for San Francisco State University

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — December 1, 2006 — PhilippeBecker Design (PBD), a rising Bay Area branding and packaging agency, today announced that it created the new visual identity program and logo for San Francisco State University (SF State). The new brand highlights a distinguished 107-year history of contributing to the San Francisco Bay Area, and reinforces its long-standing intellectual tradition. The brand may be viewed by accessing the University's homepage at www.sfsu.edu.

With nearly 30,000 students, SF State is an intellectual leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, social justice, and activism – strong characteristics of the San Francisco community that make it one of the world's great cities.

"We tasked PhilippeBecker Design with creating a visual identity that reflects the University's excellence and rich heritage, and the result truly embodies SF State's strengths as an intellectual leader." said Lee Blitch, Vice President for University Advancement.

PBD completed two distinct projects to create the new brand: it repositioned the SF State brand, and developed a new Brand Identity and Brand Architecture System. The brand logo includes the University's founding—1899—to emphasize the its rich heritage; stylized renditions of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands, to emphasize the University's location in San Francisco and to the Pacific Rim; and illustrations of a flame and a classical goddess of wisdom, to represent commitment to enlightenment and learning. The tagline "A San Francisco State of Mind" anchors San Francisco's values with the University.

"We are committed to San Francisco and its community. We have built our business and hired outstanding employees here, and now are helping build awareness for an outstanding San Francisco university, said David Becker, PBD President.

PBD used several research methodologies to create the brand, including focus groups and interviews, and also collaborated with the University Cabinet and faculty. The new brand logo is the sole brand used on all university materials.

About PhilippeBecker Design
PhilippeBecker Design (PBD) is a branding and packaging agency founded in 1998. PBD clients operate throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and include Del Monte Foods, Disney, Forbes, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Safeway, Meade-Johnson, T-Mobile, Whole Foods Market, and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. More information is available at www.pbdsf.com.

PR Contact:
Priss Benbow
Benbow International PR
415.987.7747
pbenbow@benbowpr.com