Along with most states in the U.S. and many Utah tourist sites, BYU has joined the Olympic pin craze with its own distinctive “Y” pin.
Jason Badell, BYU licensing and trademark coordinator, said the Salt Lake Organizing Committee approached BYU about doing the pins last July after promoting the idea to Utah elementary schools.
“SLOC is pretty excited about the pins,” Badell said.
Michael Busenbark, director of Alumni Association, said SLOC originally proposed a design for the BYU pin, but BYU opted to design its own pins instead.
“We redesigned it, and I like it better,” Busenbark said.
Layne Miller, gift buyer for the BYU Bookstore, said the Bookstore has already sold more than a thousand pins and has ordered a total of 3,000 pins.
“It’s a good looking pin,” Miller said.
The primary BYU Olympic pin is on sale at the BYU Bookstore and features a “Y” with blue mountains in the background and the SLOC Olympic symbol underneath.
Initially eight pins designs were presented to BYU’s External Relations Council, including a pin design featuring Cosmo, Badell said.
Two other pins are being produced for the Marriott Center and BYU athletics.
Badell said these pins would not be on sale to the public and used as gifts and promotional ventures for the men’s basketball team and women’s athletics.
A fourth pin is being designed for BYU Dining Services to use.
University Communications attaches the pin to all working media kits given to visiting reporters, said Carri Jenkins, assistant to the president of University Communications.
According to Jenkins, journalists from France, Germany, England and Sweden have visited BYU and have received the pins.
“People are excited to see the pins,” Jenkins said. “They (reporters) are impressed with the mountains. To showcase the mountains on the pin was a wise idea.”
Busenbark said the Alumni Association has ordered 250 of the pins and gives them to particular alumni visitors and partners in relationships.
“Thousands will be visiting the area and we want something for visitors to take home,” Badell said.
Pins can be bought in the Bookstore for $5.95 each.
