Students cheer in front of tall scarlet UNLV letters on an outdoor field

The Back Story: The Scarlet Letters Were Once Pink

Here's how the signature scarlet letters — the star of hundreds (thousands?) of photos — found a home at UNLV. 

Established in 1996, Premier UNLV is an annual pep rally-style event to kick of the start of the semester. (Josh Hawkins/UNLV) 

There is simply no other UNLV — indeed, no other university that can lay claim to our distinct initialism.

In the past decade, the big UNLV letters have become an Instagrammable staple at events. But they weren’t part of some grand branding plan, at least not by UNLV itself.

Two Victoria's Secret models pose on bright pink UNLV letters
The scarlet letters at their first campus appearance in 2014, along with Victoria’s Secret models Rachel Hilbert and Elsa Hosk. (Denise Truscello/Getty Images)

Back in 2014 — when “Normcore” entered the English language and super-skinny jeans were everywhere — the PINK brand offshoot of Victoria Secret was targeting the college-age demographic. The company brought their PINK Nation “Crazy for Campus Bash” to the intramural fields with Iggy Azalea as the headliner. The point, of course, was to build enthusiasm for its college-branded clothing line. They had UNLV letters fabricated in heavy plywood and painted hot pink for the photo ops. 

After the concert, the letters were left behind and staff had a scrappy idea. Instead of hauling them to the trash, they took them to the paint shop. Several coats of red and a dozen years later, they’re still carted out for Homecoming, Premier UNLV, and graduation. 

A large red letter V made of wood broken into three big pieces and multiple small pieces
The "V" shattered in pieces before an event, but the UNLV Theatre Department scene shop came to the rescue.

“Those letters have seen some stuff,” said Savannah Baltera, who is now director of orientation, transition and family programs. “Before one Premier event, in 2018 or 2019, one of the letters shattered in a bunch of pieces and the [theatre department’s] scene shop rebuilt it.

“Another time, the ‘V’ was stolen from the intramural fields. We thought it was gone forever but the next day it showed up in front of the alumni center.”

This summer, that potential trickery will be solved permanently, thanks in large part to Planning & Construction. The department played a central role in designing a new UNLV letters installation near the Alumni Amphitheater. It's part of a campuswide signage replacement/redesign project. 

P&C developed a cohesive and modern signage system and over the past four years has installed 330 new signs across campus. The project focused on building identification, wayfinding, entrance access, and parking signage. The end result is a full-scale replacement of outdated signs that had accumulated over more than two decades, 

The new UNLV letters installation, designed after the iconic LOVE letters in the Venetian Hotel, are the vision of Deborah Bergin, P&C’s director of planning and facilities partnerships, and Alberto Munoz, project manager in Planning and Design.

“We wanted to create a sign for students to interact with and wanted them large enough that someone could sit on the bottom of the ‘U’ or stand on the bottom of the ‘L’," says Bergin. "We worked with UNLV’s marketing team and our sign vendor to develop the design. This will give our students a place to create great photos and memories.”

CSUN student government is also considering funding a proposal from the university’s central marketing team to produce an additional mobile set of letters. It will be lighter and easier for event organizers to move, ensuring that a photo op with the letters remains a tradition at major events. 

Through The Years

Tall red UNLV letters surrounded by a red explosion of color
The scarlet letters were home to a final celebration of color at the inaugural Red Rebel 5K Color Run in 2017. 
Student cross the stage at an outdoor commencement ceremony
In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, UNLV held commencement at Sam Boyd Stadium. The letters were transported to the event to decorate the stage.
Four students create a U, N, L, and V with their arms interspersed between tall red UNLV letters
Students take a photo with the UNLV letters on Pida Plaza (2022). 
Red UNLV letters wrapped in holiday lights at a busy outdoor event. Lights illuminate palm trees in green, red, and blue.
The UNLV letters shine in holiday lights at the first-ever Rebel Wonderland event in 2022.
A student holds a UNLV sign in front of tall red UNLV letters
The scarlet letters add a special touch to campus events like the UNLV First-Generation Celebration in Pida Plaza in 2023. 
Two photos showing a student in front of red UNLV letters and a mariachi band in front of red UNLV letters
The scarlet letters appear throughout the year at campus events. (Pictured here at the 2023 Latinx Cultural Celebration.) 

Topics:

campus life, spirit and traditions, UNLV history

Campus Units:

Division of Student Affairs

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