Detroit — The University of Detroit Mercy is putting mercy in the “D.” Literally.

On Sept. 15, the University of Detroit Mercy unveiled its new logo and official rebranding to students and the community. Still sporting the traditional red, white and blue, the new logo features a red “D” with an old-English “M” in the middle, combining the two histories of the Jesuit- and Mercy-run institution that merged in 1990.

The rebranding was something school president Antoine Garibaldi, Ph.D., had in mind when he assumed the school’s helm in 2011, envisioning a design that encompassed the university’s mission and provided a symbol that was bold and noticeable around the community.

“We’re very proud of our Detroit name; it’s in the university’s name, and as an institution that’s been in the city for 139 years, we feel it’s important to emphasize Detroit in the logo,” Garibaldi told reporters at a pre-release of the logo. “We wanted something that was collegiate. Not just something that was eye-catching and recognizable, but conveys and communicates who we are as an institution.”

People driving around the university on McNichols Road will see all new banners and signage that distinctly features the “Detroit Mercy” branding, and the logo release coincided with the opening of the bookstore, which featured merchandise featuring the new logo.

“We want everyone to recognize us as the University of Detroit Mercy,” Garibaldi said. “We have alumni who’re grads of the University of Detroit, Mercy College of Detroit and the University of Detroit Mercy. So we wanted the logo and name to be clear.”

The new logo will also feature on promotional material to allure prospective students; the university received more than 5,000 applications for its incoming class, up by 1,300 from two years ago. The new logo and the name “Detroit Mercy” will appear on athletic uniforms as well.

“Around town you’ll see ‘Detroit Mercy’ much more prominently; before it was just ‘Detroit,’” Garibaldi said. “No hyphen, no U of D – Mercy. We hope our Mercy College of Detroit, University of Detroit and University of Detroit Mercy grads are happy with the logo redesign, as I know we are.”

After the school interviewed five different companies and surveyed thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members about their perceptions of the university and its brand recognition, the school chose a Pittsburgh-based marketing agency, BD&E, to assist with the new design.

“You want the kind of brand recognition where you don’t need the name of the school to recognize the logo,” Garibaldi said. “It’s the same way if you went to any place in Michigan; you see the ‘D’, and you know it’s Detroit. If you see the logo, we want people to recognize it as Detroit Mercy. Brand recognition is extremely important today.”