Introducing the Lewis & Clark River Otter!

The wait is over: The Lewis & Clark River Otter mascot design has been revealed.

Lewis & Clark has officially introduced its new mascot identity and River Otter design, following an intensive five-month collaboration. L&C’s in-house communications and marketing team partnered with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) because of their top-notch design capabilities and unique understanding of the culture of Portland and the Pacific Northwest. The project was led by a small group of passionate designers within the agency, all of whom have strong ties to Portland and the surrounding area.

The River Otter won the hearts of the majority of community members who voted to make it the new mascot in October 2025, after a ranked-choice voting process that featured eight mascot options. Among students, faculty, staff, and alumni—with nearly 6,500 people voting—the river otter was the unanimous choice. The river otter’s commitment, nonconformity, optimism, and other notable traits resonated with the L&C community. Read about the mascot selection process.

 

President Robin Holmes-Sullivan speaking with students in Legal Research Center (LRC), wearing her custom L&C River Otters letter jacket.
Credit: Nina Johnson

The design challenge centered on how a river otter—often seen as a playful, gentle animal—could carry the presence and pride expected of a collegiate mascot. The resulting visual identity addresses this challenge directly through a thoughtful and inclusive design approach. Lewis & Clark’s River Otter is depicted as confident and proud, reinforcing a sense of strength rooted in character rather than ferocity. This intentional choice allows the mascot to resonate across the entire Lewis & Clark community. Surrounding elements—trees and flowing water—ground the design in the Pacific Northwest and honor the college’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

In March 2025, before the mascot had even been chosen, Lewis & Clark’s in-house communications and marketing staff members, Mat Bowers, art director, and Stacey Kim, associate vice president of communications, along with Seth Orensky, director of athletics communications, initiated a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to select an external agency partner with whom to collaborate.

Two of the five agencies that responded to the RFP were based in Portland.

Wieden+Kennedy design team “We consider Lewis & Clark to be a Portland icon,” says Kim. “We had a preference for working with an agency that would understand our city and how it influences our identity. We were thrilled that an agency of Wieden+Kennedy’s calibre and depth shared our excitement about building school spirit through the mascot development process. It’s a passion project for them.”

As soon as the River Otter was selected, the W+K team hit the campus ground running. They earned the community’s confidence by involving people throughout the journey—making sure the final mascot felt authentic, shared, and genuinely embraced by people. To achieve this, they spent a significant amount of time on campus, including running seven focus groups with students, student-athletes, staff, coaches, and alumni; attending events including the mascot finalist debates and the Homecoming football game; touring the grounds of all three schools; and meeting with President Holmes-Sullivan. The team also spent many hours observing otters at the Oregon Zoo.

Throughout the design process, the Mascot Implementation Committee, chaired by Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Ben Meoz, provided extensive feedback and guidance. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni were invited to join a digital group and more than 150 opted in. Group members received regular polls and surveys throughout the process.

“When Lewis & Clark approached us to redesign their mascot, we knew it was a chance to do so much more than that—this was also an opportunity to support the school’s overall culture and establish a deep sense of school pride for years to come,” notes W+K Design Director Patrick Nistler. “We really hope people enjoy the river otter as much as we enjoyed designing it.”

The collaboration with W+K will continue beyond the February 20 launch date. As fandom for the L&C River Otter builds organically, and personal connections are forged, the creative team will further define the River Otter concept. The creative team plans to introduce a mascot character story and costume to the community in fall 2026.

River Otters Mascot