Stephanie Beck, VP of Marketing and Community Development, Renee Ouellette, President & CEO, and Michael Connors, Senior Marketing Specialist, pose with the two Diamond Awards in the plaza of UCU's Orono headquarters.
Pictured from left: Stephanie Beck, VP of Marketing & Community Development; Renee Ouellette, President & CEO; Michael Connors, Senior Marketing Specialist.

University Credit Union Shines at 2021 CUNA Diamond Awards

UCU awarded Category’s Best for new logo and Diamond Award for rebrand at national industry event

ORONO, Maine (May 27, 2021) – University Credit Union (UCU) was recently recognized for its vibrant new branding, receiving two highly regarded awards for the new UCU logo and “How Do UCU” branding. The awards were presented at this year’s Credit Union National Association Councils (CUNA) Diamond Awards Week, held virtually April 12-15. UCU was awarded the highest recognition for Logo with Category’s Best, as well as a Diamond Award for Rebrand/New Corporate Identity.

CUNA Diamond Awards Week celebrates credit unions across the United States that demonstrate creativity, innovation, relevance and execution in their marketing and business development. Traditionally held in person at the annual CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council meeting, this year’s event was held virtually over several days due to the active COVID-19 pandemic. CUNA Diamond Award nominations are evaluated by more than 70 credit union experts and specialists from around the country. This year, judges evaluated 1,278 entries in 35 categories.

Left: Diamond Award for Category's Best, Logo. Right: Diamond Award for Branding/New Corporate Identity.
A closeup view of the two Diamond Awards. Left: Category’s Best – Logo. Right: Branding/New Corporate Identity.

“The Diamond Awards competition is the most prestigious competition for excellence in marketing and business development in the credit union industry,” said Amy McGraw, CUNA Diamond Awards Chair in a press release. “Credit unions that receive these awards should be extremely proud of their accomplishments and know that their work represents the very best examples of creativity, innovation, relevance and execution.”

Overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, UCU was able to successfully develop and launch a vibrant new brand look across its physical and digital landscapes. The design of the brand was inspired by the diversity and strength of Maine’s urban communities and the flow of Maine’s natural rural landscapes, with messaging focused on the theme of each member’s unique financial journeys: “How do UCU?”

“I’m incredibly proud of my team for developing and launching UCU’s new branding during an extremely challenging time,” said UCU President and CEO Renee Ouellette. “The most important thing for us was to tell our story through our branding. We wanted members to see Maine and see themselves in our modernized mark, and know that at the end of the day, we are still the UCU they have trusted for generations to advance their financial well-being in every stage of life.”
To view University Credit Union’s award-winning branding, click here.

About CUNA
Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions, which are owned by 120 million consumer members. CUNA, along with its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, delivers unwavering advocacy, continuous professional growth, and operational confidence to protect the best interests of all credit unions. For more information about CUNA, visit cuna.org. To find your nearest credit union, visit YourMoneyFurther.com.