Say goodbye to Tide Guy. This local school has a new sports mascot and a new look
Gig Harbor High School has a new look.
They officially launched their new logos and have identified a new mascot, according to a district press release earlier this month.
“A lot of the previous branding is similar to the current logos, such as the GH logo for Gig Harbor,” Danielle Chastaine, Digital Media Communications Coordinator for the Peninsula School District told The Gateway Thursday. “The only change to the mascot was the visual design and the name Poseidon,”
The school now has a few different logos.
The primary logo is a more detailed version of the previous “GH.”
In a secondary logo a wave crashes over the word “Tides.”
A crest logo will be used on official documents and diplomas. It has a wave, the word “tides” and the school’s name.
In the future, they also plan to have a shield logo “in the shape of a flag,” in the school’s parking lot, the press release said.
They also gave their mascot a makeover.
“A fierce Poseidon holding a (trident) is the new sports mascot,” according to the press release.
Before the change the mascot was “Tide Guy” with a more casual look than Poseidon has now.
Why the change?
The direction for these changes comes from Principal Michele Suiter.
“The older logos had many variations and there was no “official” logo for the GHHS brand,” Chastaine said.
When Principal Suiter started at the high school in 2020 she wanted to create official branding that amplified the “Tides Way,” she said.
After Suiter brought the idea of a change forward, GHHS formed a committee for the project and did surveys to narrow down ideas.
The committee included teachers, students, parents and other community members.
Survey responses showed the school’s community wanted to keep a version of the “GH” logo, according to the press release.
“GHHS worked with the company Jostens to design the new logos and create a new brand guide,” the press release said. The school district did not respond to The Gateway’s inquiry about what that cost.
Students were involved with the creation of the logos and branding, and their voices had an impact on the final design, Chastaine said.
“You may already spot some of our Tides and their families sporting the new logo on hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and more,” she said.
