These marks are used to support, promote and celebrate Sun Devil® Athletics and ASU-recognized student organizations.
History
- The nickname “Sun Devils” was adopted on Nov. 8, 1946, when the student body voted 819 to 196 to make the change after frequent appeals made in The State Press — the student newspaper. More on Sparky here on thesundevils.com.
- In 1948, Disney illustrator Berk Anthony designed Sparky holding a trident, which is referred to as Sparky’s pitchfork.
- The iconic pitchfork was translated into the pitchfork hand signal with three fingers pointing up by three students in 1986, according to The State Press.
- In the 2011–12 athletic season, Sun Devil Athletics started using the current athletics pitchfork logo as the primary logo. It looks like a trident with a shorter handle, like an Olympic torch. The “It’s Time™” hand pitchfork graphic was also introduced, with a small pitchfork in the palm of the hand.
- In 2016, the additional drawing of the hand pitchfork was introduced as part of brand updates in the It’s Time campaign. Watch the It’s Time video.
Sparky
In an ongoing effort to project academic excellence and quality in all communications, the guidelines related to the athletics mascot and university spirit mark have been updated and are effective as of Oct. 1, 2018.
Approval to use Sparky
Sparky is the mascot for Sun Devil Athletics and a spirit mark for use by registered student groups. The usage is managed by the Chief Brand Officer of Enterprise Brand Strategy and Management.
Approval is required by all seeking to use photos or illustrations of Sparky.
All units, with the exception of Sun Devil Athletics and registered student groups, are required to both:
- Seek approval to use Sparky.
- Restrict the use of Sparky to communications that are related to tradition and university spirit.
Request approval to use Sparky
Discuss this request with your unit’s lead communicator or your campus office so they are aware of this request. Clear communication with leads will prevent confusion and help reduce the time for any approvals required.
Use by registered student groups
Contact the organization's campus office for authorization:
- Tempe campus: tempeclubs@asu.edu
- Downtown Phoenix campus: downtownclubs@asu.edu
- Polytechnic campus: polytechnicclubs@asu.edu
- West campus: westclubs@asu.edu
- ASU Online: onlineclubs@asu.edu
Use guidelines
If you have approval to use Sparky (see above), follow the guidelines when implementing the illustration:
- No modifications are allowed: He should never be modified, dressed or embellished. No likeness of his body or head may be created.
- Registration Sparky is a registered trademark of the Arizona Board of Regents. The first use of Sparky on any item must carry the symbol of a registered trademark (®). Sparky is a federal trademark and CANNOT be altered.
- In licensed apparel, the mascot may be presented in a tone-on-tone design. Whenever this presentation is used, it must retain the original character of the design by presenting the face and trident in a lighter shade than the rest of the costume. The teeth and area around the irises of Sparky’s eyes should always be white. All tone-on-tone applications must be approved by the ASU Brand Council.
- Pose: Sparky may only be used in the standard pose. Modifications are not allowed.
- Severability: Sparky must always be shown as a whole image or in partial images that do not detach part of his anatomy from his body. However, in some applications Sparky’s head may be used in isolation (without the rest of his body), and the trident may be used separately as a decorative element.
- Color: Sparky is shown in one of four standard color combinations:
- maroon, gold and white;
- reverse;
- black and white; or
- maroon and white (see below).
- Three-dimensional and animated applications: Sparky may be represented in three-dimensional or animated form. In these applications, the restrictions under “Pose” apply.
- Tradition and spirit: Sparky communications are restricted to those that are related to tradition and university spirit.
