The Semiotics of the Logos of Selected Universities in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract coloured logos of universities are one of the foremost visual elements representing the beliefs of higher institutions of learning and which are difficult for the audience to ignore. This study examined how the combination of colours and logos is employed as a branded identity by universities to tell the world about their beliefs and values. The study examines the use of colour in the logos of six universities in Southwestern Nigeria using Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen's approach to multimodality. A socio-semiotic study of the selected logos provided insights into what these Nigerian universities stand for and what they do. Apart from the beauty logos added to the social media platforms, they have also become means by which higher institutions of learning sell themselves. Their ideas and beliefs are subtly advertised through the logos. The socio-semiotic approach helped in deconstructing how this is done.