Cadets Unveil New Logo

Simple, effective, recognizable, and timeless.

These are the words used by graphic designer and Cadet Alumnus Kenny Isidoro when he describes the dynamic new logo that will represent the corps for years to come. His design was selected among more than 40 submissions during the Cadets Logo Contest held this fall. null

Inspired by the corps’ 75-year tale and the legendary West Point-styled uniform, Isidoro’s design came easily to the marketing director for a Providence-based architecture firm. It features crisp, clean lines and a bold emblem, artistically packaged to represent the Cadets, a corps always well-regarded within the activity for their rich history and never-failing pursuit to innovate and inspire.

“The logo simply called for an answer to the question: What is the image of the Cadets?” said Isidoro, of Dartmouth, Mass. “To me, the Cadets already have an image, and that image is undeniably the uniform…I started sketching the uniform in different ways and I found that the embroidery on the sleeve was the solution. The three chevrons pointing right clearly represented the Cadets ideas of innovation and pushing the boundaries.”

The partial outline around the arrows, also the letter C, not only signifies the Cadets, it also represents being on the edge and pushing the limits, said Isidoro. They are also a nod to the logos of the Garfield Cadets and the Cadets of Bergen County, which are also contained in the arrows.

Isidoro’s design stood out immediately, said Jimmy Verrett, a Palm Springs, California-based marketing consultant to Youth Education in the Arts, the parent organization of the Cadets. Verrett and Cadets Director George Hopkins sifted through every fantastic design submission received as part of the contest, but the two kept returning to Isidoro’s work for its simplicity and unwavering story that connects the corps through four name changes and embodies the philosophy of always pushing the limits.

“Isidoro’s design is terrific. It’s an extremely well thought-out, well crafted mark,” Verrett said. “Designing simply is extremely difficult; Isidoro nailed it.”

Honored for his work to have been selected, Isidoro knows well the spirit of tradition instilled in every Cadet. He wore the chevrons that inspired his design from 2001-2003 when he marched as a tenor player in the Percussion Section. He also worked as a technician for the Cadets during Spring Training in 2007.

“During those years, the Cadets affected me in a truly unique way. There was always a sense of being surrounded in a legacy of tradition,” said Isidoro. “As a member, you’re motivated to work harder than you’ve ever worked to achieve a level of quality that you’ve never achieved. It’s the kind of organization that draws the best out of you.”

With a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture and a minor in graphic design from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., Isidoro said his design background comes from what he learned in school, a study that focuses on pragmatic thinking combined with reason and rationale.

“I have a consistent design methodology and my design process is very rooted in program and context. I try to extract a design concept from the content itself, to enrich the design and keep it cohesive,” Isidoro said. As for the Cadets logo, it just flowed naturally.

“Virtually unchanged since 1934, generations of Cadets have worn the maroon and gold military-style uniforms, so I knew the logo design had to lie within an aspect of the uniform. When looking at the other descriptive words in the call for submissions – innovative, fast, on the edge – the logo also had to represent a forward thinking.”

As an architect and now working as a marketing director for an architectural firm, Isidoro has always kept his hand in design in between jobs and maintains a portfolio of freelance work at http://mudeostudio.com/. Exciting times are in his future as he is engaged to marry in January and move to a recently purchased home in Franklin, Mass.

“Christina and I chose Franklin because it has a great town center, the school system is excellent, and it’s fairly convenient to both Providence and Boston,” Isidoro said.

As changes come quickly in his life in the next few months, Isidoro knows his kinship with the corps will only strengthen.

“This is something I’m passionate about. And now, I’ll feel an even stronger connection knowing my design is traveling with the corps all the time.”

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