Northwestern College unveils new mascot

Northwestern College has a new face representing Raider Nation. Red the Raider, the college’s new mascot, has begun appearing at campus events and will make his public debut during Raider Nation Celebration Oct. 2–3.

The product of a year’s worth of planning, Red will interact with students, alumni, fans and community members at events across campus and throughout the region—from admissions and alumni events to athletic contests and community appearances. His development was part of the college’s strategic plan, which has as its primary goal broadening brand awareness and deepening brand affinity.

“We are very excited about Red’s ability to be a standout ambassador for Northwestern who can help extend the NWC Raider brand,” says President Greg Christy. “We have invested a lot of branding effort over the last several years into defining what it means to be a Northwestern Raider: Raiders are smart and strong, courageous and faithful, leaders and servants. We achieve because excellence honors God and serves others. Northwestern Raiders aren’t defined by the traditional perceptions of a raider, but by the qualities and values our students embody. And Red embodies them too.”

Mascot committee members received several suggestions during a campus survey last winter and determined that a fox-inspired appearance for Red the Raider best met their goals of creating a mascot that is both fierce and friendly and distinctive from other college mascots. Among the models that guided their choice of a non-literal mascot interpretation were the Kansas City Chiefs mascot, KC Wolf, and the Iowa State Cyclones’ Cy the Cardinal.

Red the Raider was developed by Street Characters Inc., the world’s preeminent creator of mascots for professional teams, colleges and corporations. Street Characters also designed the mascots for Energizer batteries, the Colorado Avalanche, A&W Restaurants, San Francisco 49ers and the University of Iowa, among many others.