Steve Brooks wasn't exactly eased into his role as the publications coordinator with the University of Waterloo's athletics and recreation department. 

Immediately after being hired in the late spring of 1998, Brooks found a monumental task on his to-do list: the Warriors had been searching for a new logo for almost a year, and the deadline to make such a large change ahead of the 1998-99 varsity season was fast approaching. Warriors marketing leaders had consulted with graphic designers from across several campus departments, but Brooks saw an opportunity in all the discarded options – "I knew everything that didn't work. I didn't have to spend a lot of time on the early concepts," he said.  

So, the newbie in the marketing department took all that feedback, grabbed his sketchbook, and went to work. Now, a quarter-century later, Brooks' design has become a symbol of what it means to be a Waterloo Warrior. 

The Warriors logo celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, but what it stands for is bigger than a helmet on a shield. Up until 1998, women's varsity teams played under the name Athenas, with a separate logo. But the redesigned imagery was part of a wider effort to unify all teams under a single logo and the Warriors name. 

"The Greek helmet has been used for a long time for both the Warriors and Athenas teams," said Brooks. "But the Athenas helmet had hair coming from beneath it. We knew we wanted to have a more inclusive logo." 

Versions of the Greek helmet logo had been used since 1960, when the varsity teams were officially bestowed with the Warrior and Athena monikers. So, Brooks wanted to maintain the helmet in his version of the logo. But he also wanted to pay homage to the academic prowess of the University of Waterloo, so he incorporated a more artistic version of the university's gold shield into the design. Brooks then hand-drew the shadowed WARRIORS lettering across the top of the shield, gave the helmet a more curved and dimensional style, and the new Warriors logo was born. 

In a press release unveiling the new logo and name in 1998, then-director of athletics and recreation Judy McCrae said that it was "an appropriate time in our history to unify the men's and women's sports under one umbrella." Since then, the logo, branding, and Warriors' identity has continued to grow and permeate outside of just the realm of athletics, to the entire student body. 

"It's a great moment in our history to be able to celebrate 25 years of being Warriors, not only for our student-athletes, but for our entire campus," said director of athletics and recreation, Roly Webster. "It was an important step at the time to unify all our student-athletes under the same name, and I think the Warriors brand across campus is as strong as it's ever been. We are all Warriors here, and we're proud to help form that sense of community and belonging for the students, staff, and faculty. 

As for Brooks, he certainly didn't know that his first task in 1998 would end up creating a mark that has become synonymous with excellence for thousands of current and former student-athletes. But it's something he's both proud of and passionate about – Brooks recently celebrated his 25th anniversary at UWaterloo, and currently oversees Warriors branding, uniform design, and visual media in his role as the Warriors' creative design and brand specialist.  

"It's still exciting to see my work in real life," said Brooks. "When they added the Warriors logo to the stairwell at South Campus Hall, or the logo on the Fieldhouse, those moments are really neat. When you drive or walk onto this campus, you're a Warrior, and it's cool to know I had a part in that."

To build on the excitement and to encourage our fans to purchase more Warriors gear, we'll be working on some exciting sponsor activations for Orientation Week and back to school. Including FREE Domino's Pizza vouchers given to those that purchase gear! Stay tuned for more information.

The Warriors will return to action for their 25th season behind the shield and helmet when the fall semester sports kick off in late August. Keep watching gowarriorsgo.ca for info on schedules, single-game tickets, and season passes.