Some people are really into the Campus Crusade for Christ, while others seem to never have heard of it. There are surprisingly few people who lie in the middle ground, who are aware of this organization yet have no opinion about it.

The old brand and logo design were effective and represented the organization well. When Campus Crusade for Christ first began at UCLA in 1951, it used a shield design with a cross intersecting the shape along with a book and a torch, both of which are relevant to Christianity. The new christian logo is in a calming, trustworthy blue and uses the same general shield, but modified to have a hand-drawn feeling that is youthful and unconventional. The name of the organization is written in rounded letters with serifs in the same blue along with a calming gray. The logo overall feels good, but it has one key flaw: it uses the word ‘crusade’.

Unfortunately, this word has very unpleasant connotations. Most people associate crusades with religious wars and intolerance for other viewpoints—hardly the impression that this organization wants to make. With a presence in more than 1000 US colleges and universities, a lot of individual ministries are dependent on public perception. Changing the name is an obvious step. Therefore, the Campus Crusade for Christ will soon be known simply as Cru.

This new, fresh, youthful name needs a fresh and youthful logo design to match. The new Cru logo design just might meet this demand. The name of the organization is written in lower case, rounded lettering that is friendly and informal—exactly what many college students want from their religion. A cross is formed by intersecting lines that are bright and appealing. The lettering may feel a little generic to people in the logo design industry, but it works well with the image and will be effective among its target market.

The name may be related to the unpleasant word ‘crusade’, but it is only loosely so. It is also a common nickname for the ministry, which will help the brand keep brand equity with college students who have already bought into the brand. However, it is a response to a recent study finding that twenty percent of college students are turned off completely by the name. Further, because the program is no longer limited to college campuses, this new name opens new horizons for Cru and allows them to continue expansion without becoming something of an oxymoron.

Another benefit to the new logo is that it is short and sweet. The old name was long and unwieldy and may have difficulty being placed on a christian website. Because the image from the logo was not self-explanatory enough to be used alone, the result was a rather clunky logo and identity. This identity is young, fresh, and thanks to the cross image, still relevant to Christianity. It maintains its core identity while presenting an image that will appeal to many people outside the fold. And, after all, isn’t that the point of a rebrand in the first place?

Women and children are treated as second class citizens throughout the world, a fact that is simply not recognized by many people in more tolerant nations. Half the Sky is an organization dedicated to bring attention to the situation. Based on the book with the same name, Half the Sky is a media project that will include a Facebook game, PBS television series and several short films. The project now has a logo design that is intended to represent the project and its efforts.

This logo features the words ‘Half the Sky’ in lower case in a simply but thick font. This wording is placed next to a view of a blue sky cut into halves, tying into the name. The two halves form an equal sign, referring to the equality being sought by the project.

This is, on the whole, a good identity for this media project. It is direct, to the point, and recognizable. The image portrays many of the organization’s goals and certainly represents its name. However, there are a few things that we don’t like as well.

First, the way the lettering aligns with the image seems a little off. If it were completely even, it would give the logo design a more unified feeling. The two lines of wording don’t seem to fit neatly together, although this may be due to the difference in height between the lettering and the two dashes on the equals. Last, we have to wonder how this logo will work in very small applications, such as embroidered on a polo shirt or printed on a business card. Is there a simpler version that will work for these applications? We sure hope so. As is, it would look horrible if printed in one color, so we hope the organization/media project has a huge materials budget.

A few things that we love about this brand: it is distinctive because, in general, most logos do not use photographs. A vector-less logo is certainly a novelty, and it suggests that this project is more than just a business venture, which is accurate. It is somewhat simple and even restrained, which makes the message all the more powerful. This logo design is going to be used internationally, and the images of an equal sign and a blue sky are recognized universally. It can be difficult to create a simple yet effective design that works well all over the globe, so this design deserves praise and props.

The name of the organization is that of a New York Times bestselling novel on the same subject, but also on a Chinese proverb that “women hold up half the sky.” While there are usability issues with this logo design, it is important to remember that this is not merely a logo. It will be used in a television show and on a Facebook page, in both animated and still formats. It is a graphic representation of a concept and a story.

The world of logo design is rapidly changing. We never considered that the future would hold photographs used in logo design. However, we are seeing this motif more and more, and in many cases it works beautifully.

We write a lot about logo evolution, and many people may wonder why. The answer is simple: even the best brands must change to be more relevant to an ever-changing market. If your brand and logo design are going strong, rebranding can be a scary process because you don’t want to lose the value of your current logo design—also known as your brand equity.

The change in the Cerner logo is a good example of this. Now, we have written before about more notable logo evolutions—such as the changes over time in the Apple logo or the Starbucks logo. Cerner is not as large or easily recognized of a company, but we are interested in their change in logo design and brand because it is a perfect example of good logo evolution.

Cerner is an IT services company specializing in healthcare organizations. We have never really thought about who maintains the computers at our local doctor’s office, but this is likely the company because they are the top of their field. The old logo features a C—or is that a circle?—with two bars flowing out of it. The new logo design features basically the same thing, but in a better way.

We still see the same basic shape in the new logo image, but with notable changes. The C is now obviously so; there is no more mistaking it for a circle. The bars are connected to the circle, giving it a feeling of movement and continuity. A friendlier font is being used as well as more modern, friendly colors. The old blue was business-like and serious, while the new blue is a bright, serene sky blue. The addition of lime green creates a more interesting and memorable logo while bringing attention to the bars in the image. Green also indicates health and growth, which is a positive connotation for a company in the health care field to be sure.

What makes this a logo evolution and not a flat out change? As you can see, the form of the logo design is the same, with the image on the left and the company name on the right. The old company logo was often seen with the tagline below, but the new one (so far) is left plain. The blue color is kept, but it is a more modern shade, and a little green is added. The image is largely the same as well, merely updated to be more appealing to a modern, professional audience.

If your logo design is an atrocity, or even just a little bland like this one, a logo evolution can be the right choice. You can keep the recognition of your brand and make necessary changes without compromising the integrity of your business. An out of date logo can do a lot of harm to a business, so it is better to make small changes as they are needed rather than waiting until your brand needs a complete overhaul.

If you are not aware of the Disney Vacation Club, it is basically a membership club for timeshare owners at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Members are awarded points based on the size of their share and money spent at other Disney parks and resorts. They receive rewards of some kind for their loyalty to the Disney brand.

The Disney Vacation Club obviously had a vacation logo that worked; the vacation club has grown quickly and now includes more than five hundred sites throughout the world with timeshare owners from more than one hundred countries. This is a true international experience… but it is not well represented by the old logo design.

The Disney Vacation Club logo shows a tropical vacation scene with mountains, palm trees, and an ocean with waves. The sun is in the shape of Mickey Mouse, adding a little bit of the Disney brand albeit in a somewhat nonsensical way. You can see longitude and latitude lines, which indicates a global presence subtly. The Disney logotype sits above the travel logo, while the rest of the name is placed below in upper class letters with serifs.

While the image tries to be playful, it really is not. The scene just doesn’t work for some reason. Maybe it is the latitude markings? Further, the blocky font with serifs feels too serious. Consider: these vacations are aimed at families with children, or at least adults who want a youthful experience. There is no need to get all official. This logo design was meant to change the way that people think about a Disney vacation, but it just doesn’t.

The new logo is at least a little more interesting. The main logo image is of a globe topped with Mickey Mouse ears. This device actually works well and is very attractive, but we are a little confused by the heavy silver around the shape. It just doesn’t make sense. Another criticism is of the play of light on the image. It feels a little too Web 2.0 for us. In a few years, even in a few months, this device will be out of style, and then Disney will have to be back at the drawing board. Ryan March, editor of the Disney Vacation Club Disney Files magazine comments that “…it’s hard to go wrong with shiny,” but this seems to go a little far.

All criticisms aside, no one can deny that the new logo design is more attractive and more appropriate for this global vacation company than the old one. While it is not perfection, it is certainly progress. The new logo seems to suggest that this business will help you see the world, Disney-style. That is probably very close to the intended message.

Is your small business bogged down by a logo that is unattractive or simply does not represent you well? If you need a change in brand or a change in logo, contact a professional logo designer. There is no better time than today to get started on a new business image.

I had been reading a lot about how designer in design contest sites rip off designs and post them as concepts. Today, we realized Logo Design Works has also become a victim of this issue.

We had created a crab based logo design for a company back in 2005 for a client, Cajun Crab Restaurant. It was a fairly illustrative design and the client was quite happy with it. Here is original logo. You can see it in our mascot design portfolio.

Today we found that a design had ripped the Cajun Crab design from our site, modified it slightly and posted it as a concept on the 99Designs contest site.

I find this quite agitating. We have sent off a notice to 99Designs website. Hopefully they will bring the designs down and reprimand the designer. If that does not happen we plan to inform the client (who actually owns a trademark for this logo design) and pass it to our legal counsel.

This is disgraceful. Wanna be designers trolling design sites, ripping off designs and trying to pass them off as their own. Actually I would blame the design contest sites since they are catalysts in promoting such a culture.

A logo is a symbol of pride regardless of the industry you’re in. That’s why you will read so many harsh comments about logo redesigns of cities or brands. And they have the right to do so because we are all part-owners of logo designsand brands we patronize.

Coming from this perspective, I can’t really understand why professional baseball team New York Mets came up with a uniform patch patterned from a pizza company, Domino’s.

Players will be flaunting this bland logo design to commemorate the first season in their newly constructed 45,000-seat stadium home, the Citi Field. To make matters worse, it will be available in all promo items and merchandise of the team. It’s very disappointing not only from a logo designer and logo design team’s perspective but from sports fans as well. Commemorative patches carry sentimental meaning and can command high dollar value as time goes by.

And as The LoHud Yankees Blog pointed out, this is “the only team that would design a patch for their new stadium that doesn’t mention the stadium or show any images of it.” Perhaps there are some legal issues with using Citi but it’s a good observation indeed.

Even the MetsBlog was flooded with negative comments about this new logo to a point that someone mustered the guts to proclaim it’s the “worst sleeve patch in MLB history”. Well, I can’t blame them for saying those things. A little touch of creativity will surely help but I guess the people behind this patch want to stick to something similar to the Citi Field logo.

Let this be a lesson to all brand owners to put more effort and emphasis in developing their logo designs. Gathering insights from loyal followers is a good starting point. Getting help from expert logo designers is of utmost importance.

We mentioned last year about the cleverness of Obama’s logo and its flexibility to adapt with other logos during its campaign last year. It comes as no surprise then that different companies, big and small, will find a way to make the most of this powerful logo and profit from its success.

First in the batch is Pepsi with the launch of its new logo that is strikingly similar with Obama’s. And the beverage giant is blatantly connecting its image with the President-elect. The new slogans include “Yes You Can”, “Choose Change”, and “Optimism”.

The connection seems logical since Pepsi has been positioning itself as the face of the new generation against the old time favorite, Coca Cola. After all, these have been the logo colors of Pepsi long before Obama became a public figure. When asked about the reason behind its new design, executives denied that they copied it from Obama. They are simply aligning their brand with the current disposition of the country. Dare to believe it?

Ikea is also riding the popularity of Obama with the launch of its out-of-home ad campaign called “Embrace Change ’09″. Here, the home retailer has created a replica of the Oval Office inside Union Station in Washington, D.C. designed from desk to carpet. Moreover, Ikea fans will the power the design their own version of the Oval Office in the company’s special website, http://www.embracechange09.com.

At the heart of this Obama craze, here’s the big question: is it worth the effort and money? I like to believe that the power of this campaign will not prosper over the long haul. For one, consumers are very fickle. What’s popular today may not be popular tomorrow. Better focus on creating your own brand rather than piggybacking on other’s popularity.

Hoping to attract more visitors, the French government has decided to re-brand its tourism logo along with a new tagline. This romantic country is the world’s number 1 travel destination with more than 82 million visitors in 2007. However, its popular spots like Eiffel Tower, French Riviera, and vineyards were not enough to convert visits to tourism revenue.

The new wistful logo features a woman molded in the image of Marianne, a national symbol of the French Republic, and a tagline “Rendez-vous en France”. The French government hopes that this logo redesign will help highlight the three traits supposedly unique to this country:

1. Liberty: independence, creativity, imagination, boldness, spontaneity, a multitude of possibilities
2. Authenticity: history, heritage, culture, nature
3. Sensuality: pleasure, epicureanism, romance, intensity, passion, femininity

Clearly, this is a dramatic improvement to the old boring logo design (reminds me of airline logos). This classy logo design with a feminine touch has captured the essence and ambiance of French life – chic and romantic.

Most importantly, this re-branding must carry improvements on the tourism. Otherwise, it will be a big waste of money and effort. In this case, it means faster visa processing, cheaper airline service, and even amendments on employment laws such as seasonal employments for visitors who wish stay longer in the country.

2009 is here and every one at Logo Design Works wishes you all A Happy New Year!

Last year has seen a lot in terms of the economic crisis and almost every one has been tested. Hopefully 2009 will be a better year.

At Logo Design Works, we had worked on more than 600 projects in 2008 and had moved to a bigger office in Cleveland. Even though our team size has reduced, we now have a highly qualified, experienced and motivated team.

We wish all our customers the best of luck in 2009!

I have always been a big fan of Steve Douglas’s logo design related posts on his company blog, the Logo Factor. I like his writing style and appreciate the boldness with which he approaches various issues that affect the logo design industry in general.

The best post so far has been the most recent one about whether logo review websites are legit. The reason I decided to mention this on our blog here is because several times in the past, we have had clients who call us to discuss their requirements, ask us about why were not listed in so and so logo review website etc. Our standard answer has always been that perhaps we are no so big!

Reading Steven’s post today, I finally understood how these review websites work and what goes on behind the most popular of those.

Excellent post Steve! Keep up the good work!

BEST BUY is testing out a redesign of it’s famous “tag” mark. The old tag logo has become quite an icon and stands for the low cost and convenience brand strategy that the company has had for all these years.

You can not miss this icon in malls or when you open the local newspaper. Although the old buy logo looks similar to the Block Buster logo design, it still conveyed the right kind of message and aligned itself well with the budget conscious market segment.

However the new Best Buy logo design looks quite classy with thinner font face enclosed in a blue box and slightly simplified tag icon. Even though the new buy logo redesign looks more polished and current, I believe it actually conveys a different message. To me, it says, class, elegance and more expensive. Perhaps Best Buy logos is changing it’s brand strategy. Perhaps it is also changing the way it markets its stores and perhaps it is aiming at a different market segment.

It is hard to believe that Best Buy would throw away such a huge brand equity with out a valid reason.

I read about this first at Seth’s Blog.

Marshall High School, located in Marshall, Missouri, announced the launch of their new logo mascot – New Owls. The new logo mascot was selected by the Marshall Board of Education from a design contest that was open to every one in the Marshall district.

Dozens of designs were submitted and after review, seven finalists were selected. From them, two were chosen by vote of the student body to represent the district, one for elementary schools and one for middle and high school.

Finally, after two arduous weeks, we have finally managed to complete the move from our old smaller office to a much bigger office and logo design studio. Even though the new office is in the same building, because of our 45 computers and 8 servers, it proved to be quite a challenge.

We have been growing steadily for the past two years and since the introduction of our software development team, our office was bursting at the seams. Our logo designer had to manage with with very limited space and even though we had an open floor plan, this limited space led to decreased productivity.

We started looking around for a bigger office since January 2008 and could not find the right one for many months. We wanted more space but we were keener to get an office that offered us state of the art of facilities including high speed broad band and a gym. Finally we had to convert an existing space into the kind of office we wanted. This refurbishment process went on for a couple months and finally we were ready to make the move.

The move was planned in 2 phases – first we would set up the furniture, cubicles, cabins and pantry. Then we would get our new PCs and Macs and then setup the network. The first part took under a week but the second phase took more than 3 weeks. During this time we applied to AT&T to transfer our phones.

In the final week, after we dismantled our network and our servers, all logo designer started working from home. Projects were running smoothly. However, since AT&T took ages to transfer our phones, we were unreachable for more than a week. Most clients were understanding and were happy to communicate via email and our online logo design studio floor. But a few clients were not happy that they could not pick up the phone and talk to their designer.

Late yesterday night (in the wee hours of the morning), our network went live. All our brand new computers were hooked up and all servers went live. The phones were also live and we opened up our communication channels.

We would like to thank all our clients for being patient during the move and would like to apologize to all potential clients if they tried to call us last week and were greeted by an automated message announcing the office move.

I was shopping in Ilford the other day and saw this sign. Can’t believe big companies too do not have any regard for copyright laws!

Our favorite cable channel for documentaries on technology and history, Discovery Channel, is seeking to refresh its brand identity with the unveiling of its new logo design and tag line.

The new logo’s blue background and the typography are very glaring alterations in this redesign. Of course, Discovery Channel will not drop its distinct globe emblem since it has become an integral part of its brand identity since 1995.

According to the creative team behind this new logo, the biggest challenge is to “preserve the globe that is so integral to the brand, yet find a way to make it even more connected to the name Discovery.” The outcome is the so-called D-globe or the linking of the globe to the letter D to create a new shorthand identifier for future uses. In the words of its designer:

“The new Discovery Channel identity package creates a deeply immersive experience for viewers — one that is bold, unfiltered and fun. We wanted to give the network a powerful, new voice and let their amazing programming shine through.”

Along with the new design is the change of tagline. Its phenomenal and highly memorable “Explore Your World” tagline has become “The World Is Just Awesome”. I feel this is a bit hokey or void of emotional appeal. Even though taglines are almost always changed whenever the logo design changes, perhaps Discovery Channel should have retained its tagline considering its brand recall.

The battle of apple logos is heating up! It turned out Apple Inc., the innovative gadget company famous for Mac, iPod, and iPhone, is not happy with the latest environmental initiative of New York City a.k.a. the Big Apple.

GREENYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s recycling campaign to make this busy city a lot cleaner, healthier and more sustainable, is represented by a logo design featuring an apple shaped like the infinity symbol with a single leaf and a stem.

Now, The Tech Herald reported that Apple wants to monopolize this insignia so it filed a trademark infringement lawsuit with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office arguing it is too similar with its infamous emblem and as a result will lead to “consumer confusion resulting in damage and injury”. Moreover, this logo might hurt the distinctiveness of Apple logo.

Comparing the 2 logo designs, I don’t think it is confusingly similar with the Apple trademark. Perhaps, Apple is just too paranoid that it doesn’t want anybody to use this fruit anymore. Or maybe this is a simple legal ploy to warn other interested parties planning to use apples on their designs. Besides, GREENYC logo is not competing in the consumer electronics category so consumer confusion is very unlikely to occur.

Both parties are no stranger to trademark infringement. Apple had a trademark battle against the Beatles for decades while the government of New York recently accused the Brisbane City Council of copying its “I Love NY” logo.

When it comes to logo design trends, the peace sign is one of the most widely recognized and even exploited graphics today. Even though it turns 50 this month it remains relevant and meaningful to many people.

But did you know this the original use of this logo design? According to a news article, Englishman Gerald Holtom created this levis timeless logo design in March 1958 for the activist group known as Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War and later adopted as the official logo of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

Since then, the peace logo design has been adopted in different peace movements from Vietnam War, environmentalism, civil rights and even for gender-related issues. Though dove remains the leading symbol of peace, this is more appealing to many protesters since it’s very easy to draw. Still, others mistake this for the famous car logo of Mercedes.

Since neither CND nor logo designer Holtom filed for copyright of this logo design, it became a hot icon for many items. Now, this is a familiar logo you can see almost everywhere from graffiti doodled on walls to everyday clothing.

A leading researcher on different peace movements note this logo design is seldom used these days since many people still relate this to the tragic Vietnam War.

Photo from Jyotaro

The longtime logo design dispute between the famous fashion trademark Polo Ralph Lauren (PRL) and United States Polo Association (USPA) has reached another milestone. According to the latest report, the US Court of Appeals has sided with the sports group.

The Case of Double Horsemen Logo

The suit started way back in early 80s when PRL filed a trademark infringement complaint for using the so-called “Double Horsemen” logo design featuring a pair of polo players mounted on horses while holding polo mallets. The lawsuit is against USPA and Jordache, the clothing company given the licensing rights to use this design.

There are different versions of this design – silhouette version of 2 horsemen, same version but with USPA text below, the plain drawing version you see at the right side, and that same version with USPA text below.

Though the silhouette version was found infringing to PRL’s trademark, the rest are cleared by the jury since there is no likelihood of confusion on these designs.

You can read the comprehensive legal arguments at Las Vegas Trademark Attorney blog.

In choosing the most fitting mascot design for 2014 Winter Olympics Logo in the southern city of Sochi in Russia, the residents have voted for a dolphin to represent this celebrated event where the triumph of human spirit is at its finest.

According to a news article, more than 130 entries including birds and insects were submitted as candidate for the right mascot. Then, the candidates were trimmed down to a dolphin, a polar bear, a skiing snowflake, and believe it or not, Father Christmas. After the voting at all ballot stations in Sochi were finished, majority of 270,000 Sochi dwellers favored the dolphin. Sochi’s mayor said the dolphin he has chosen this mascot because it combines the highlands and the sea.

Unfortunately, the result of this poll is not binding to the organizers of the 2014 Olympics and Russia’s Olympic Committee. The whole world has to wait until 2011 for the official announcement. Whether the dolphin will get the green light or not is quite difficult to assess since more relevant and entertaining mascot designs might come out in the near future.

By the way, Sochi was chosen by International Olympic Committee in July 2007 over Salzburg in Austria and Pyeongchang in South Korea.

The city of Midland, Michigan has unveiled its new logo design to build a consistent, energetic and strong brand identity to help attract business investors, professional workers and tourists.

This fresh city logo features the name of “Midland” in all capital letters, a set of square boxes in different logo colors at the right side, and the tagline “A Million Brilliant Possibilities”. Well, the colorful boxes are not confetti but a symbol of Midland’s colored directional road signs which promote the best places in the city.

Midland hasn’t changed its logo in recent years nor used it to unify the city. According to the designers, the city is still perceived as the “City of Modern Explorers”. Hopefully, this re-branding initiative will tell the world that there are more things to do and discover at Midland.

Just like any business, having a recognizable logo and unique slogan enhance brand image. But more than a mere redesign it should be accompanied by some significant changes. A symbol, no matter how creative, is just a symbol unless you put meaning to it.

via The Bay City Times

Citi Field, the new world-class 45,000-seat stadium and official home of Major League Baseball team New York Mets, has unveiled its official logo in preparation for the grand opening in early 2009. Based on the partnership signed by both parties, this will be the official baseball stadium in the next 20 to 40 years.

Obviously, Citi’s globally recognized emblem is the main feature of this new logo design. After all, Citi had free artistic license to choose its own design and colors. The corporate logo is enclosed in a baseball playing field or diamond with royal blue color.

It is linked to an orange banner with the text “Field” using a font very similar to the one used on another major league baseball park and former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field. According to the developers, Ebbets served as the main inspiration for the design of Citi Field. The team is grateful to Citi since it adopted its colors (orange and royal blue) and symbol of baseball diamond shape for the new logo.

Recently, the baseball team created a commemorative logo as farewell gift to its longtime home since 1964, Shea Stadium.

via MLB

A new logo design was developed for Killeen City, Texas to attract new visitors, businesses and new residents as well as enhance its overall brand image. Unfortunately, the city was portrayed in a Washington Post article in 2004 as “a scruffy (military) town of tattoo parlors and auto body shops, Chinese restaurants and pawn shops.”

Since then, the city has been struggling to get rid of that stigma. That’s why they came up with a new branding strategy to reflect the city’s aspirations. The new city logo is supposed to capture the essence of this transformation.

From its current design featuring letter “K” with a red line, a star at the top and tagline “The city without limits”, the creative team simply changed the red line to a green stem, a yellow rose at the top, and the tagline “Where Freedom Grows”. Unfortunately, the alteration is not equally radical as its aspirations.

According to the creative team, the yellow rose represents the military for this type of flower was planted during the World War II to honor war victims.

Moreover, the new logo is a product of extensive research started in September 2006 among community leaders, residents, and even surrounding communities of Killeen.

via Killeen Daily Herald

Orange County has launched its new county logo design as part of its wide-ranging efforts to attract more visitors to the region and enhance its brand image. However, the public immediately saw its resemblance to the smash-hit TV drama series “The O.C.”

Both logo designs share the same graphics and font. The difference lies on additional elements of the new Orange County logo like the small blue wave cresting and the tagline “Forever Summer”.

Admittedly, the brains behind the new Orange County logo believe using a similar looking logo is a smart move to extend the seductive “fun-and-sun image” popularized by this TV series to encourage tourists to visit.

The overall marketing direction is not to create a new identity but to “leverage existing perceptions” to its favor. Aside from placing the new logo on newspapers and hotel pamphlets, it will be seen on gateways sign of every entrance to the region.

Is there any trademark infringement? According to Orange County Tourism Council, the patent was cleared by a trademark expert. However, other trademark experts do not share the same sentiment. Unfortunately, “O.C.” trademark owner Warner Bros declined to comment on this issue.

via OC Register

For 30 years, the city logo featuring geese flying over the mountain represents Fort Collins, Colorado (see Colorado Logo Design). Now, the city believes it’s time to have a branding makeover and embrace modernism, ironically before the start of migrating season.

This change is essentially captured by the new logo design featuring a “curvy, abstract mountain shape in brown, connected to an equally abstract blue river-like swoosh.” It symbolizes the mountains and Poudre River. This new logo is also accompanied with a tagline “Where renewal is a way of life” (not seen on the image above) on all printed materials such as letterheads and uniforms.

The decision to drop the old logo came from a survey. Even though Fort Collins is known for being beautiful, charming and friendly, it is perceived simply as a college town since it’s the home of the esteemed Colorado State University. To make matters worse, it has a stained image of being anti-business and anti-growth.

Unlike other city logo makeovers, the transition in Fort Collins will be slow. According to the authorities, it will take up to 8 years to implement this change since they would like to consume all the current printed materials with the flying geese logo design.

On the other hand, some people do not see the value and cost of the new design very appropriate. Aside from being bland and indistinct, some questioned why the city spent $80,000 on the survey about the image of Fort Collins when it is cutting back on its public services such as police and library operations.

via coloradoan.com

Animal rights group Compassion Over Killing has filed a lawsuit against the United Egg Producers trade group and New Jersey egg farm ISE America for still using its now defunct “Animal Care Certified” logo on egg cartons.

Just like other trade logo designs such as Alaska Grown (see Alaska Logo Design) and Canada’s Health Check Logo, the Animal Care Certified logo was stamped on licensed egg producers meeting the set standards of the group.

However, Compassion Over Killing had complained about the wording in 2006 for this logo is misleading to the consumers. While it implies that eggs come from well-treated hens, the reality is that hens are locked up in cramped metal cages. In April 2006, the Federal Trade Commission and 16 other states agreed to stop using this logo design, forcing the group to change the wording to “United Egg Producers Certified”.

But ISE is still using the old logo on its big egg farm, much to the dismay of the animal rights group. That’s why Compassion has filed charges for violating the Consumer Fraud Act of New Jersey and other legal agreements with the federal government.

Time and again, this is an important reminder to all entrepreneurs and trade groups to study carefully the text and even symbols to use in any logo design, particularly if this will have a bearing to a bigger group or community.

Whether you use Google or not, you -er- should be using it! When you peek behind the curtain from the front page, you’ll find a staggering panoply of tray-kewl stuff. More than 23 specific “Search” refinements join 11 “Communicate/ Show/ Share” tools that you gotta wonder why you’re not using! What’s the web about if not finding stuff and sharing stuff? Goog-antua 101!

Many folks have not yet taken the time to customize their Google home page. It’s your iGoogle and after you sign up for a Google account, a customized home page is just one of the services.

You can even choose a graphic theme for your iGoogle page. The City Scape choice even uses time zones to reflect your time of day in your browser as the sun moves overhead. Sunsets are the best.

Hoping to get rid of its Bugs Bunny look-alike mascot, South Dakota State University (SDSU) has unveiled the new and improved Jackrabbit mascot design.

These new designs were inspired by more than 18 months of gathering and researching insights through surveys, 8,000 e-mail comments, contest, feedbacks from the alumni, and focus group discussions all over the state.

In the end, the winning mascot design was picked out of 250 local and international submissions in the “Design the Jackrabbit” contest. The outcome is a major transition from a cuddly costumed mascot to a new Jackrabbit with sleek lines and more intense looks.

SDSU also adopted from one of the finalists a word-mark “Jacks” logo design featuring distinctive ears and tail. Apparently, several vendors and news media are asking for a shortened version of the mascot.

In addition, this image makeover comes in a very opportune time as the university is “gaining a reputation for cutting-edge research and economic influences.” The new mascot design supposedly reflects a “modern feel” that is very fitting on the school’s focus on innovations and future advances.

Luckily, the former costumed rabbit created in 1971 will remain part of major SDSU events and will continue to entertain the future generations, alumni and kids.

via GoJacks.com

World Meeting of Families is a religious event held every 3 years to “‘celebrate the divine gift of the family and to unite families in prayer, speaking, learning, sharing’ and getting deeper into the comprehension of the role that the Christian family plays as a domestic church and the basis of evangelization.”

The organizer has unveiled the official logo design for the 6th celebration which will take place in January 13-18, 2009 in Mexico. The new logo features a group of shadows representing the members of the family, three hearts in between each character, and symbol of the crucifix above the image. The overall theme of the event is “The family: teacher of human and Christian values.”

Just like many religious logos with simple designs, it contains deeper meaning. According to organizers:

The cross represents the presence of God as the support of the unity of the family and the three hearts unite or represent the family united by love and relationships. The attitude of the members of the family is one of trust and joy in the Lord,” the organizers explained.

Also, the logo design color symbolizes Mexico as well as hope. If you’re eyes are keen enough, you will notice that the shadow image of the mother is pregnant. Again, it embodies the most significant event celebrated by every family.

via CNA

More and more cities are embracing branding to enhance or even reposition its public image.

A recent addition to city logos is Cardiff, the capital and largest city of Wales (United Kingdom).

The city’s first ever logo, which costs £45,000, features the name “Cardiff Caerdydd” encircled with multi-colored discs. These logo design colors represent the city colors such as parks and waterfronts.

Promoters believe this logo will help the city “stand out on the world stage” and position itself as a progressive place to live, work, visit, invest and study.

Apparently, the people behind this initiative want to get rid of the traditional associations with Cardiff such as dragons and daffodils. The city’s flag and seal feature the Red Dragon with the motto “Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn” or “The red dragon will lead the way”.

As expected, some people in this city detest the logo design. In the comments section of BBC, people associate it with chocolate Smarties, old analogue telephone and paint manufacturer. Others call it rubbish, bland, boring, predictable, and meaningless just like the disastrous London Olympics logo design.

Beaver County in Pennsylvania has created a new logo design as part of its efforts to create a uniform and more modern image.

Recently, the lack of a unifying identity has prompted some county offices to create their own logo instead of using the county’s official seal featuring Old English lettering and two rearing horses.

The new county logo features the county’s name and state, a bridge over water, and the tag line “Divided by rivers — United by people.” The idea behind this logo design is based on Beaver County’s 2 rivers and numerous bridges.

Aside from building a single identity, this new logo will also help minimize expenses by buying business cards and stationery design in bulk. With different logos, the county has to deal with different costs, suppliers and specifications.

The next target of branding makeover is Beaver County’s 800-page Web site. Take a peak at the site and you’ll see why a Web design overhaul is a must. Though it contains rich information about the county, it lacks visual appeal and usability features.

Via timesonline

In an effort to comply with NCAA’s policy of banning “hostile” and “abusive” American Indian nicknames, Arkansas State University (ASU) has decided to retire its official sports logo and moniker “Indians” as well as the Indian Family mascot after more than 75 years. The retirement will take effect on February 28.

The university had disputed the NCAA ruling in 2005 and defended that it represented Indians in a “dignified and stately manner”. Perhaps the decision of the majority to adhere to this policy made the university reconsider its stance.

The moniker “Indians” started in 1931, representing its deep admiration to the fierce fighting spirit of Osage tribe in Northern Arkansas (see Arkansas Logo Design). The Indian Family, the school’s official trio mascots, wears the authentic Native American costumes and headed by Chief Big Track, the renowned chief of Osage tribe.

So, what will be the future of ASU? According to a news report, Arkansas State University Mascot Selection Committee has selected the ferocious wolves as the official athletics mascot and considering the name Red Wolves as its official moniker.

For many years, search engine giant Google has been altering its original logo design to fit according to different holidays and major historical events. Since 2000, all these so-called Google doodles are created by the company’s Webmaster Dennis Hwang.

Now, regular K-12 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 in the US will have the chance to contribute their creativity, play around with Google’s homepage logo, and more importantly win a scholarship grant worth $10,000 plus another $25,000 as technology grant for his or her school.

Named Doodle 4 Google, the designs students will create must answer the simple but intriguing question – What if…? Here are the design guidelines:

1. The doodle should be presented on a white, landscape sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.
2. You can download the Google logo template from our Lesson Resources page.
3. The winning doodle will be displayed on our U.S. homepage, so the Google logo should be clearly visible and recognizable.
4. The doodle can be in pencil, crayons, felt tip or paint, or can be done using computer drawing or design software.
5. Unfortunately, we can’t accept entries which use additional materials to create 3D logo effects.
6. Please encourage your students to create original designs. Be inspired by Dennis, but don’t recreate his designs.

Undeniably, encouraging students to share their versions of Google doodles will flood the online giant with creativity and fresh perspectives.

United Indoor Football League, a premier indoor American football club started in 2005, has unveiled its new and “much more contemporary” logo design. More importantly, it signifies some major changes in the league which the company believes will help attract more viewers and encourage more teams to join.

True enough, the new football logo is a better rendition compared to its previous design. Though it’s not something you can say as contemporary. Most of you’ll agree that the previous logo is reminiscent of the old logo by American Gladiators TV program. Using the great American flag as the overall theme might inspire patriotism but it is devoid of originality.

On the other hand, the new logo features a “blue football cutout with UIF in blue letters and the words United Indoor Football in red.” Moreover, there is a red star which serves as a dot for the letter “I”.

On the business side, the UIF logo design signifies the effort to improve efficiency and reduce overhead costs by using the appropriate technology. The monthly dues are also lowered from $2,400 to $1,250 per month.

The new logo is already in effect and the league’s 4th season will commence this coming March 8, 2008.

via UIF

Microsoft’s “Windows Vista Capable” logo is now in a big trouble. Launched in 2006 by software giant due to the delay of its new operating system Vista, this logo is stamped on any PC equipped with features including a 512MB of RAM, Direct 9-class graphics card and “modern” CPU of at least 800MHz.

Unfortunately, it is very misleading to customers. Though it can really run the basic Vista operating system, it doesn’t guarantee full support on all its features. In short, it cannot promise superb customer experience.

That’s why there is an ongoing lawsuit against Microsoft for deceptive business practices and violation of consumer protection laws. Deceptive because it intentionally did not inform the customers that they need to spend more money to run the premium edition of Vista.

Now, there are some internal e-mails showing that even Microsoft finds this logo design very confusing since the inception. Here are some of the contents coming from several employees:

Mike Nash, currently a corporate vice president for Windows product management, wrote in an e-mail, “I PERSONALLY got burnt. … Are we seeing this from a lot of customers? … I now have a $2,100 e-mail machine.”

“Even a piece of junk will qualify” for the “Windows Vista Capable” designation

Jim Allchin, then the co-president of Microsoft’s Platforms and Services Division, wrote in another e-mail, “We really botched this. … You guys have to do a better job with our customers.”

Once again, it highlights the importance of logos in helping buyers find the right choice, the same way Alaska GROWN (see Alaska Logo Design) and Canada’s Health Check logos play important roles in buying high quality food items.

The country’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, has unveiled the new logo for its new small-format grocery stores called “Marketside”. According to Financial Times, the first branch is slated to open this summer in Phoenix, Arizona (see Arizona Logo Design).

The new grocery logo (see Alaska Logo Design) is rather simple. Since green is the symbol for organic products, it’s no surprise Wal-Mart used this logo color for the word “marketside” in lower-case. Close to its text is a stack of fresh food items typically available in a grocery store.

Unlike its regular stand-alone supermarket concept occupying 40,000 square feet, Marketside grocery store is reported to be around 20,000 square feet. This is the retailer’s alleged answer to the entry of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets, a discount grocery store owned by UK’s supermarket group Tesco.

Conversely, Wal-Mart has denied these speculations and simply claims this new small-format store is just a variation of its current neighborhood market format. Unlike the broad Wal-Mart stores, Marketside allows the company to explore more opportunities in grocery business and focus on crafting private-label food items.

College sports is unquestionably one of the hotbeds of colorful nicknames and uniquely designed mascots. Thanks to ESPN, we are given a chance to know the 10 of very best nicknames that many college sports fans might not readily identify.

I cannot help but wonder if there is some sort of thought process behind these names or it’s just based on pure creativity. Luckily, Smargon, a site that tracks nicknames of thousands of schools nationwide, has pointed out the similarities among these monikers:

The better nicknames illustrate one or two things about a school – something fierce that will strike fear in the hearts of opposing teams and/or something local. When you’re attending a college game, if you are or were a student there, when the athletes take the field or court it feels as if they are taking it for you. You feel as though you have a lot in common with them and you continue to have that connection for life.

Though it’s all about nicknames, you will also notice the creativity behind the mascot designs. For instance, the Evergreen State College (Olympia, Wash.) is known as Geoducks and its mascot is a giant green clam (2nd from left in the image above). Its name is actually the term for the largest burrowing clam in the world and known to be an aphrodisiac because of its phallic-looking siphon!

Disclaimer: The image used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

Just by looking at the broncos used in the 2 logo designs it easy to assume that a trademark infringement is just round the corner. True enough, the officials of Idaho’s Boise State University is studying the copyright issues and legal remedies on this matter.

According to a news article, many Boise State fans noticed the confusingly similar sports logo used by Kamloops Broncos, a football team based in British Columbia competing in Canadian Junior Football League.

Both logos feature a head of a Bronco but using different color schemes and looking at opposite direction. Boise State combines blue and orange while Kamloop’s is using a darker shade of blue.

In defense, Kamloops claims the use of this confusingly similar logo is not deliberate and all copyright issues were reviewed before using this design.

“We’re not out to make money, we’re a non-profit. We liked the name, and Boise State’s done a great job with their logo,” said Kamloops general manager Dino Bernardo. “It was never our intention to steal a logo from the Boise State Broncos.”

Moreover, Kamloops also announced its plan to replace this logo in preparation for 2008 season.

Will you use a cuddly mascot to warn people about life-threatening disasters like tornadoes or killer typhoons? This is an issue raised at snarfd that caught my attention.

Meet Timmy the Twister, the adorable and always grinning mascot character created by Memphis Weather Office in 2005 specifically to “raise the daily level of severe weather awareness”. Ironically, the moment you see this happy mascot you better pack up and stay alert because another terrible tornado is coming to town. Not the impression you want to get from a smiling mascot.

Last Tuesday, more than 2 dozens of tornadoes ripped US Mid-South from Texas to Ohio, killed more than 50, injured hundreds of people and destroyed so many properties. Tragic disasters like make you wonder why Timmy the Twister is still smiling. Or why he should be the bearer of bad news.

This is another case of disappointing disconnect between the message conveyed and symbols used. It’s like wearing a bright-colored outfit in a funeral. Tornado is no laughing matter and we should not treat it lightly.

In the presentation materials about Timmy, the logic behind this mascot is to have a character that grabs attention immediately and teaches children about safety. While the goals are right, they should have put more effort on the delivering the message correctly and creating the right character. Colors like red or black commonly seen on a “Danger” sign perhaps an evil character like the Grim Reaper are more suitable for these events.

Hoping to shed away its family-friendly appeal, the Animal Planet has launched a new logo and brand campaign to satisfy the animal nature of its adult audience.

According to its press release, it will launch 8 new series and specials in the hope of tapping into the “instincts that drive us all – fear, hunger, pleasure, nurture – with compelling stories that resonate with what it means to be human.”

Unfortunately, its logo design may not be up for the challenge. It basically lacks that brute and raw appeal that will send shiver down my spine. If the designers think turning the letter “M” sideways can tap our “instinctual feelings”, there is a big probability they are wrong. In fact, it’s confusing. Some suppose it’s an animal in a different position like sleeping or ready to fornicate. Though I’m afraid my rusty imagination can’t seem to figure out this animal (if it’s an animal at all).

Still, the new programming is so promising. The Animal Planet promised to dramatically alter its perspective from documentary style to gripping entertainment. Perhaps it should do the same to its new logo design – make it more exciting.

via Brand New

Just to show how excessively excited the officials of Tampa Bay are when it comes to football, the official logo design of Super Bowl XLIII is unveiled to the public even though it’s still a year away.

Aside from Pasadena (California) (see California Logo Design Company), New Orleans and Miami, Tampa is one of the four lucky cities to host more than 3 Super Bowls – 1984, 1991 and 2001. The city owes this to its “great community support, the volunteers, the corporate sponsorships and the hospitality”.

Unfortunately, its new logo pale in comparison with other Super Bowl logos. Some say it lacks the so-called Florida logo design feel while others feel it is quite boring for something as big as Super Bowl. Perhaps the organizers should have taken more time developing a more decent logo to capture the electrifying spirit of this prestigious event.

More than anything, hosting the Super Bowl brings economic impact to the city by at least $300 million. In fact, the overall impact of this event held in Miami last year reached a whopping $467 million.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this event and NFL alone needs 18,000 hotel rooms just for its clientele.

Via Orlando Sentinel

Tim Baldermann, a Republican vying for the Congressional nomination in 11th Congressional District of Illinois, is questioned for inappropriately using the banner logos of leading newspapers in its political flier.

According to Ottawa Daily Times, the flier includes a heading “Here is what others are saying about Tim Baldermann” followed by the logos and excerpts from Chicago Tribune, Southtown Star, Morris Daily Herald, Pantagraph and even its own publication.

However, people behind the Times felt deceived by act. The flier contains the phrase “widespread experience in law enforcement, education and municipal government”. But that is not what the newspaper published exactly. In fact, here’s the complete version of that excerpt:

“Republican leaders Monday lauded his (Baldermann) widespread experience in law enforcement, education and municipal government.”

See the big difference? The Times fears this might mislead its readers that it is endorsing Baldermann for the congressional candidacy. An official statement is issued stating, “The Times was not consulted as to the use of The Times’ masthead and content.”

Of course, Baldermann’s spokesman is quick to defend its position. The mastheads are simply there to show Baldermann is getting press coverage within the district. However, I do not reckon the intelligent public will buy that faulty reasoning.

In business as well as politics, adding logos and testimonials from credible people and groups help boost your image and encourage trial. However, it is your responsibility to present information as factual as possible to avoid any problems in the future.

For those of you who have tried searching the Web for best deals among hotels or vacation packages, chances are you have visited the popular website Hotels.com.

Recently, the online travel discount site has applied for protection of its new logo trademark obviously related to “travel agency services, namely making reservations and bookings for transportation and providing information concerning travel and providing travel and information over computer networks and global communication networks”.

The current logo design features its name in red text and a character named Benny the Bellman carrying suitcases. Launched in 1996, it’s about time to have a logo makeover and even a Web design overhaul so it will be more relevant to the users.

Now, the new logo is a lot more sophisticated with its black & white theme. Moreover, the letter “o” has an up and down arrow sign perhaps to symbolize the elevator buttons. Or as HotelChatters.com interpreted, these arrows might have something to do with search function because this site is basically a search engine for low-priced hotels. I guess we have to wait for the official launch of Hotels.com to understand the meaning behind this symbol.

On the other hand, I find the new logo design inappropriately sophisticated for a company providing cheap hotel rates. The combination of logo colors black and white connotes elegance, which might be too intimidating for some o its target customers.

Via Trademork

The Chicago Marathon has been one of the world’s most prestigious marathon road races since it started 30 years ago.

This year, October 12, 2008 to be precise, it will don a new name and a new logo design heavily influenced by its main sponsor, Bank of America.

It’s very obvious that Bank of America wants to milk its investments in this much awaited event. For one, the official name now is Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Moreover, the new logo design features a bigger text size for the bank’s name compared to name of the event. Unlike in the old logo, the event is the center of attention.

Moreover, the familiar image of a male and a female runner is retained but the shade of green is edited so it will no longer reflect the brand identity of LaSalle Bank, the former sponsor which was recently acquired by Bank of America. To ensure total domination of this logo, the financial institution also added its very recognizable red, white and blue flagscape.

Judging how it controlled the logo, I would not be surprised if one day the name of this event will change to Bank of America Marathon.

Read [Press Release]

Finally, Old Navy has taken some bold steps to shed away its image as a “run-of-the-mill discount business with too many stores”.

It has launched a new logo design and a massive re-branding campaign to shift focus from a family brand to the hip and stylish twenty-something crowd. Old Navy will finally scrap its oval-shaped logo in exchange for a more modern design featuring the word “ON”. I have to agree this new logo shows more creativity and charisma.

Of course, launching a new logo design won’t have much impact unless you add meaning to it. In the case of Old Navy, the changes will be seen in terms of speed to market, store renovations and a more fashionable brand image.

Consumers will see more designs and collections changing on a monthly basis, just like its fierce competitors Zara and H&M. For its first collection coming out this February, it will display “urban safari look” or African-inspired wardrobe. Thanks to a more coordinated effort among the design team, marketers and merchandisers, Old Navy can develop and launch more products in less time.

Also, expect to see more retail store innovations to complement these new collections. Old Navy will focus on localization of stores, meaning it will carry more items appropriate to its location. So don’t expect to have an extensive collection of coats in Puerto Rico.

Via WWD

Some people might be dumbfounded why some universities founded by religious organizations dare to use the terms “devils” or “demons” as their monikers and mascots in athletic endeavors. For obvious reasons, these names sound inappropriate for educational institutions. However, some have deeper meanings hidden in its history.

Duke University is one of these “devil” universities, famous for its Blue Devils. Its sports logo features the capital letter “D” in blue text with a very scheming devil at the middle that resembles The Joker character found in a deck of playing card.

Although the Blue Devils logo is one of the famous icons today, its history is virtually forgotten. According to Duke University’s Archives, the name was inspired by the French soldiers popularly known as the “les Diables Bleus” or Blue Devils. This group is distinguished for its courage, strength, unique military training and catchy blue uniform with beret and cape.

In 1921, the student newspaper launched a campaign to create a catchy name for the university and use its school color of dark blue as part of the guidelines. Blue Devils emerged the popular choice against other monikers such as Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes, or Blue Warriors. Surprisingly, this chosen name did not encounter any trouble or opposition even from the school administration.

It is indeed amusing to know the Democratic Party is not afraid to be branded as jackass once again.

According to Reuters, it has concluded its search for the finest donkey to play as the official live mascot during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Out of 10 candidates, the 7-year-old donkey named Mordecai was declared winner of such prestigious and entertaining event. Democrats believe the donkey symbolizes the ideal candidate for it has the “right amount of vigor and energy, a cool temper but feisty when you need to be.”

The strong connection between the Democratic Party and donkeys existed as early as 1828 when the detractors of Andrew Jackson labeled him as “jackass” during a presidential campaign. Thanks to his great wit, he was able to around the situation by making this donkey a symbol of his courage and humility. From that day on, this animal has played a big role in this political faction.

As expected, the Republicans mock the donkey for it is ridiculous, silly and stubborn. That’s why this group uses the elephant as official symbol because of its intelligence, strength and dignified persona. Naturally, Democrats have a strong repugnance for elephants, regarding it as stupid, conservative, awkward and arrogant.

Andrew Jackson may have outsmarted his enemies with his witty maneuver about being a jackass. However, times are changing and the use of the word jackass is strongly associated with the TV series of crazy people performing stupid pranks and self-mutilating stunts.

Via 2008 Democratic National Convention

In case you have been “googling” today, you will notice Google’s logo design looks like Lego. It’s because today is the 50th anniversary of this very educational toy company. While Lego has been around since 1932, this year marks the 50th year of its patent application.

Invented by toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen in the early 30’s, it has become one of the most prominent icons of our time. Today, about 36,000 Lego parts are produced every minute; seven sets are sold per second worldwide; and about 5 billion hours are spent creating these toys annually.

More than anything, Lego is a premier design institution where small business owners can draw inspiration from. One of the important lessons you can get is the power of co-designing with your key customers. Known today as crowdsourcing or user-centered innovation, the toy company has been implementing this process long before the term was coined. BNET explains why it is an effective method:

People will do many things for a business for free, simply because they think it’s fun. Products and companies can become hobbies unto themselves, and many consumers will derive satisfaction from feeling like an insider at a company they’re passionate about. In return, you should give them recognition, exclusive perks, the opportunity to interact with senior company managers, or free products.

That’s just one of the many insights you can get from this toy maker. Let’s hope it will continue to innovate and influence design process not only among toys but in many industries as possible.

via Mashable

Major League Baseball team Cincinnati Reds is going after the “moms” market with its third sports mascot named Rosie Red. This female mascot is the team’s weapon to entice mothers of all ages to bring their kids to this wonderful game.

Rosie Red will join Reds’ leading mascots, the long-time human baseball mascot Mr. Red and his furry companion named Gapper. However, she is still in development and might not be able to put up a show in the much-awaited Opening Day. Gapper is a very entertaining red and furry skinned mascot dressed in a “junior style backwards cap” and Reds Jersey. Mr. Red, on the other hand, is the true symbol of the team with huge baseball head, complete Reds uniform and a has a height of about 47 baseballs stacked on top of another.

Considering the waning interest in this sports, having a new mascot to refresh the image and strengthen its fan base is very crucial for this team. Aside from Rosie Red, the world’s oldest professional baseball team has also revamped its stadium and intensified its efforts on outreach or community programs. More than that, its celebrity players will also spend more time with fans as a way to build strong relationship.

Via The Enquirer

After 3 years of research to understand the underlying image problems, the people behind Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota have unveiled a re-branding campaign dubbed as “Minneapolis St. Paul More to Life.”

Because many communities are repositioning as “twin” or “tri” or “quad” cities, this this urban area wants to do away with this similar brand campaign and focus on correcting the image-damaging stereotypes held by many people that it is too cold, unsophisticated, socially dull, economically morose and there is nothing to do but go to Mall of America.

Judging from its city logo, I’m starting to agree that it is rather unsophisticated. It features the city’s name and tagline in red letters combined with a very common arrow design pointing upward or north to symbolize perhaps the city’s high aspirations. This logo design lacks the zing to create an impressive impression.

Because the state is threatened with pending shortage of skilled workers, Minneapolis-St. Paul wants to encourage more people to relocate and make this area the hub of next generation leaders.

Part of the campaign is to hype the top 3 assets of Minneapolis-St. Paul – “shopping, safe and vibrant urban cores, and a green and outdoorsy atmosphere.” Unfortunately, the survey has revealed the reluctance of many travelers to visit or move to this community.

Via TwinCities.com

There is a new franchise in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and it is the Atlanta Dream. Along its new name comes a new logo design featuring red, white and sky blue color scheme.

The name is quite refreshing for the major pro sport franchises in Atlanta are named after birds such as Hawks, Falcons and Thrashers.

The sports logo shows the text “Atlanta” spelled in red capital letters. Directly below the city’s red text is the word “Dream” in sky blue color shadowed with colors red and white. You might notice there are 3 little sky blue stars and a big one on the letter “A” in the word Dream. Very visible is the basketball “propelled out of the star”. It is reminds me of the Xbox and Xerox’s brand new logo design.

It is no coincidence that this new WNBA team is launched after the annual holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Perhaps the name Dream is inspired by his “I Have a Dream” speech. In fact, team owner Ron Terwilliger relates its connection to the great civil rights leader.

“Atlanta is a city of dreamers and this week we have had time to reflect on what it means to dream and what can happen when you do. Little girls, like little boys, imagine playing in front of cheering crowds and achieving success in professional sports leagues. We believe Dream best captures Atlanta’s spirit and the core values of the WNBA. We look forward to the Atlanta Dream continuing to make history as we work toward our goal of transcending sports,” said Terwilliger in a press release.

Health Check is Canada’s information program to help consumers make healthy food choices. Created by Heart and Stroke Foundation, its Alaska Grown logo (see Alaska Logo Design) is stamped on a food item or restaurant to guarantee that it meets the criteria set by Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. According to this organization, it is like “shopping with the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s dietitians”.

It is similar to the front-of-pack Choices logo headed by multinational company Unilever. But now it is heavily criticized because of the high sugar, fat and sodium contents found in some of the 1,500 food items with “Health Check” logo.

Raised by an obesity expert and medical director of Bariatric Medical Institute, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff believes this could deceive many consumers who rely on this logo design every time they buy food items. To make matters worse, Freedhoff thinks recommending these foods is tantamount to encouraging consumers to acquire chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Some of the items put in question are cookie bars, muffins and flavored milk drinks. Read related medical logos article.

In defense, the organization claims it is making some changes concerning this program. In fact, more than 100 items were affected by the said changes. Manufacturers of these items are now ordered to reformulate to meet the standards. The bad news is that the deadline is on December 28, 2009!

via The Ottawa Citizen

BBC Three (BBC3), a British TV channel aimed at 25 to 34 year olds, has unveiled a new whimsical pink logo design as part of its multiplatform re-branding initiative.

The company spent a total of £380,000 or approximately $740,000 for the whole campaign. The logo itself costs £35,000 or $68,000 while each ident or call sign is worth £50. The new designs will come out next week in its TV channel logos and official website.

BBC3’s new design will replace the very simple blue logo design. Part of the change is getting rid of its current ident appearing between programs known as the “talking blobs”. While some find it rather funny, a research conducted by the company showed the lack of audience appreciation for this flash logo design. Though BBC3 strongly believe the talking blobs are adorable, the viewers see it as confusing as well as “cold and shouty”.

In terms of re-branding, this British channel is shifting its focus to the Web by adding interactive features and giving “audience the sense of ownership over BBC Three”. For instance, viewers can upload their video clips to introduce their favorite programs. Adding user-generated contents is a good tactic to forge a bond between this channel and its viewers.

via The Guardian

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is a wonderful organization that provides financial support for black college students as well as funding for 9 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Even though it saves thousands of lives every year, the people behind this group have difficulty reaching out to the so-called “hip-hop generation”.

That is why UNCF initiated a branding makeover representing its heritage and progressive support of Blacks in higher education. At the end of the day, UNCF hopes all these efforts will help attract more donors and make this philanthropic group more relevant to the community.

The new logo design captures the essence of this re-branding campaign. One of the glaring changes is the use of different colors including blue for the text and orange and yellow for the torch. Moreover, it uses the acronym UNCF instead of the actual name because many African-Americans today do not see themselves as Negros anymore.

Another alteration you can see here is how the torch is drawn. UNCF president and CEO Dr. Michael Lomax said they opted for a bent torch over the old static version to indicate the organization is moving forward amid resistance.

Because the tag line “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” is even more relevant today, UNCF has decided to communicate this same message to the community.

This year UNCF will grant scholarships amounting to $80 million and financial support to its member institution worth $40 million.

Via Diverse

University of Tennessee’s costumed dog mascot named Smokey has earned his 3rd national mascot championship in the recently concluded Universal Cheerleading Association National held at Disney World’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

A spirited competitor, Smokey has won the back-to-back national title in 2000-2001 and is a consistent runner up in this contest for elite mascots.

Despite his impressive track record, the competition was not a walk in the park for Smokey had to fight against other top performing mascots including University of Wisconsin–Madison’s “Bucky the Badger” and Auburn University’s “Aubie the Tiger”.

Smokey is not the lone mascot of UT’s mascot for sports team better known as “The Volunteers” or “Vols”. The original mascot is a live Bluetick coonhound dog, a native breed of Tennessee. Based on the demand of the students, the first Smokey reigned from 1953 to 1954. The latest live hound dog mascot is Smokey XI, which started in 2004. His main task is to lead the Vols out of the giant “T” before the start of each home game.

Via Tricities Sports

The drawback of using a real life animal as your official mascot is finding its successor when the time comes for it to retire. Still, traditions keep them from switching to synthetic yet adorable mascot.

The Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge is such an example of this long-standing tradition. Since 1936, this university uses real life tigers as their official mascot. Using the moniker Mike the Tiger, Mike I served the school loyally from 1936 to 1956. Mike V, the most recent mascot, died in May 2007 after 17 long years. More than 100,000 people visit these tigers every year.

Now, the 2-year old feline Roscoe the Tiger is hailed Mike VI. Weighing more than 400 pounds, this very playful Bengal/Siberian mix was donated by the Great Cats of Indiana, a nonprofit animal rescue center in Idaville.

Roscoe is not like the many cute mascots actively entertaining the crowd with their signature moves and slapsticks. For one, he does not stay during the game. Moreover, he is treated like a royalty. Roscoe arrives 2 hours before the game in a caged trailer pulled by a truck and surrounded by more than 20 police officers. He is then greeted by the wild LSU crowd of more than 200,000 people chanting ‘Mike … Mike … Mike … Mike.

Indeed, Mark VI is one of the luckiest mascots in the world today.

Via Journal & Courier

Here’s another great reason why you need a mascot for your business – create future customers!

According to Forbes.com, the role of a mascot has evolved from a mere gimmick to being an important tool in grabbing new fans at early ages and establishing a friendly image to the community.

In a research conducted by The Marketing Arm to find out the leading sports mascots, they used the Davie-Brown Index – a measure commonly used to know how a celebrity can influence brand identity based on different attributes such as awareness, appeal, influence, endorsement and trust.

Phillie Phanatic, the 300-pound bright green mascot of Major League Baseball team Philadelphia Phillies, emerged the most popular. Here are the the top 10 sports mascots:

1. Phillie Phanatic
2. San Diego Chicken (San Diego Padres)
3. Mr. Met (New York Mets)
4. Racing Sausages (Milwaukee Brewers)
5. Benny the Bull (Chicago Bulls)
6. Rally Monkey (Los Angeles Angels)
7. Sourdough Sam (San Francisco 49ers)
8. Rowdy (Dallas Cowboys)
9. Rally (Atlanta Braves)
10. Miles (Denver Broncos)

And what type of mascot design do you exactly need? It is all about being cute, warm and fuzzy these days. Fierce-looking characters and heavily painted Indians carrying tomahawks are no longer in.

If it is appealing to youngsters then you’re on the right track. These children do not care about these games and players. Bring in a lovable mascot and you will immediately grab their fickle attention.

Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the new and the highest pro soccer league which will kick off in the spring of 2009. Today, it has unveiled its official logo as well as its official Website.

The focal point of this brand new soccer league logo design is the silhouette of no less than the Olympic Gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion player Mia Hamm. It uses the color scheme combining gold, red and deep navy.

“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym. The league and team owners reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS commissioner, in a press release.

Of course, its official Website www.womensprosoccer.com serves as the information center for everything related to WPS such as league info, team and player profiles, events, behind-the-scenes videos and portal for online fans.

The league is comprised of 7 different teams located in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C

The Internet world is a haven of scam artists who malignantly take advantage of the reputable image established by other companies and institutions. Now, it’s very common to see fake online pharmacies and sites forging security logos to swindle other people.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) logo is the latest casualty of these rampant rip-offs. This is not the first time the IRS is dragged in a phishing scam.

According to a news report, many online users receive an e-mail sent through an e-mail address tax-refunds@irs.gov, notifying them that they are eligible for a tax refund ranging from $100 to $400. The IRS logo is used to make it more believable. Hoping to get a refund even if they are not qualified, some online users are lured to another page requesting for personal and financial info such as credit card info and Social Security number.

The IRS already issued a new warning to the public, discouraging the community from divulging personal information online. Because of its reputable image, it has the power to lower down the defenses of online users so they will not question the authenticity of the e-mail. It clearly emphasizes the power of logos to the minds of the consumers. Moreover, it warns small businesses to strictly monitor the use of their logo design for it can be used to deceive other people.

Disclaimer: The logo used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

Some clothing mascots love to brawl during games while others simply flirt with famous celebrities. Now, another mascot is caught behaving badly but in a different way.

Meet Chip, the cuddly cartoon-like buffalo mascot of the University of Colorado or CU (see Colorado Logo Design). While this fuzzy mascot is extremely adorable, it was spotted wearing “gangsta-themed” outfit during the “Kid’s Night” promotion in Denver Nuggets basketball game.

According to a news report, 2 university students changed Chip’s traditional CU shirt with baggy pants and white custom t-shirt design. To make matters worse, one eye of Chip has a teardrop tattoo, a modern gangster insignia boasting that the wearer has already killed someone.

The appalled official of CU has issued an apology for this “insensitive, unfortunate and thoughtless” display and vowed to give the appropriate punishment for the 2 students. Currently, there are 3 student volunteers alternating for the role of Chip. Two of those 3 students apparently carried out this stupid act without approval and supervision.

More than the fun they bring during games, mascots are important extension of your brand to help other people identify with your team or business. Since its public image and demeanor automatically implicate your brand, you should manage them in like manner you handle your brands.

Via AllHipHop

Without a doubt, Google is the most valuable brand in the world today. So powerful that it becomes the universal term for online search.

In case you’re wondering about the origin of its colorful text based logo, designer Ruth Kedar candidly recalls her experience working on this initial design without knowing it will be one of the most recognizable icons worldwide.

In 1999, Kedar was teaching design at Standford University when Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin approached for some design ideas. The big idea is to create a very unique logo to convey its search engine superiority and simplicity against other search engines such as Yahoo!, Lycos and Excite. Moreover, it must not appear too corporate or traditional.

After exploring many designs and directions, the final output is the famous logo we are now very familiar with. Kedar calls “deceptively simple” because it is “so subtle as to look almost non-designed”, making the logo very easy to on our eyes. The different colors represent memories of child play to signify simplicity.

The font used is based on an old style serif known as Catull. Kadar explains why she chose this font instead of then popular Web font Times New Roman.

Catull borrows elements from traditional writing instruments such as the quill and the chisel with a modern twist. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past. Therefore Catull’s historical ties seemed appropriate, as did the bridging between the old analog world and the new emerging digital era.

It is really surprising to know the painstaking approach and symbolisms embedded in this plain looking logo design.

Via Google Blogoscoped

It’s not every day that a student is punished for wearing sexy logo designs at school. According to a news article, a junior student at Gateway High School was given 2 days of detention for sporting a sweat pants with Playboy logo on it.

Although cheerleader Elizabeth Johnson believes there is nothing wrong with her outfit and the school is just too melodramatic over this “fuzzy” dress code rules, Gateway remains steadfast about this decision. The school district dare not interfere for dress codes are left to individual school’s discretion.

The teenager was wearing a pair of sweats bearing the bunny icon on the front and the name Playboy in red letters across the back. The dean saw this getup and immediately asked Johnson to change her pants. Although she agreed, her detention is irrevocable.

Apparently, the issue is here is whether wearing “suggestive, offensive or indecent” clothes should be allowed in schools. Given Playboy’s strong connection to pornography, the community is divided on this issue.

On one side, the conservatives surely disapprove such brands for its strong association with sex and the spoiled culture. Conversely, some people insist it’s simply a logo, nothing more. That people must not be criticized for showing their love for a particular logo or brand.

Today, it is very difficult to implement a districtwide dress code policy given the culture and perspectives of individual schools.

When it comes to logo design, professional hockey team Charlotte Checkers is tired of being adorable. That’s why it has unveiled a tougher-looking logo design and uniforms last Friday against Columbia Inferno to clearly reflect the essence of on-ice attitude during a hockey game – fierce and very competitive. Ironically, the new logo was not enough to help the Checkers win against Columbia Inferno.

Featuring a ferocious polar bear set against the Charlotte city’s skyline, it is indeed very different from its previous design with a white, furry and human-like bear named Chubby.

While there is nothing wrong with a mascot being cute, using it on a logo design is another thing. Apparently, the team wants to be taken seriously. However, having a vicious logo will not do any good if the team is consistently losing.

The city’s skyline is another significant addition to this logo to symbolize Checkers’ enduring civic commitment to the community. The team has been active in raising money for the charity. Last year it was able to garner $470,000. This season it is aiming to raise $550,000 for charity.

Moreover, the bigger purpose of this new sports logo is to help Checkers and its league ECHL to stand out against established and popular leagues such as NHL, NBA, PGA and NASCAR.

via The Charlotte Observer

A small soccer team in Italy has an offbeat and very desperate way of boosting the fighting spirit of its team. According to The Washington Times, a team from Carioca amateur league has enhanced its uniform by adding the logo design of Hezbollah, a leading Islamic fundamentalist group in Lebanon responsible for more than 200 attacks since the early 80s.

Translated in English as “Party of God”, this logo features a green clenched fist holding a rifle gun. Criticized heavily by conservative groups, the team defended this decision was not politically motivated but an absurd tactic to frighten the competing teams.

Notorious for changing its name very often, the team is now called “Zassbollah”, a combination of Hezbollah and surname of its team captain Luigi Zasso. A certain Davide Volponi defends this decision:

The idea to name the team “Zassbollah” came from the situation in Lebanon. We chose this name not as an expression of any political position, but because we were influenced by the strong fighting spirit, and by the spirit of resistance. Therefore, this is not a political matter, because we observe things from afar, but on the field, we must put up resistance and fight the opponents.

Regardless of their reasons, I do not think we should condone the use of such logos for it misleads people, particularly the youth, that idolizing extremist groups is alright. Perhaps a little creativity and a bit of research are enough to find a more appropriate symbol on soccer uniforms.

via Gateway Pundit

Buying prescription-only medicines online is a very convenient alternative for many patients, particularly those who are already old and have physical disability.

The big hassle is finding a legitimate one among so many online pharmacies operating out there without healthcare expertise and professional qualifications. To make matters really worse, some sell counterfeit or unapproved drugs with very promising therapeutic claims.

Now, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) has created an Internet pharmacy logo as a verification tool for patients to easily identify authentic sites. You can see it on the homepage and is linked to RPSGB’s registration page so you can check for details. The text XXXXXX in the logo design is the space allotted for the online pharmacy’s registration number.

According to a research, more than 2 million Brits purchase medicines online but almost one-third are uninformed of online pharmacy regulations. Hopefully, this is one way to prevent any fraud and wrong use of very potent medications.

This Internet pharmacy logo is no different from your security logos such as Hacker Safe and Better Business Burea (BBB) for it boosts your credibility and improves your conversion rates as a result.

via vnunet

The “Alaska Grown” logo is important in the state’s agricultural industry. This circular logo design features the map of Alaska in color green, a blue background color surrounding the map and the color yellow on the text and border.

Created by Alaska Division of Agriculture, it is intended to increase consumer awareness and consumption of Alaska agricultural products. Today, more than 300 producers, retailers and wholesalers are using the Alaska logo design as one of their key selling points.

More than anything else, this is a seal of quality. Those companies who want to use this must pass established grade standards. Moreover, food products must be 100% locally grown while 75% of the content of processed products must be produced in Alaska.

Now, the licensing rights of the logo is under dispute. The conflict between the state and Alaska Farm Bureau started in 2004 because the latter has sought exclusive rights for over 20 years to use Alaska Grown on promotional apparels. However, the state claims to own the logo trademark and that the Division of Agriculture already spent thousands of dollars to promote this design.

A few days ago, a news article reported that the Anchorage Superior Court favored the state as the rightful owner of Alaska Grown logo.

Last year, the University of Illinois has stopped using the Chief Illiniwek logo to adhere with NCAA policy of banning the use of American Indian imagery in athletics. However, the controversy is not yet over for this circle-shaped logo.

Jack Davis, a UI graduate who designed this very popular Chief, has filed a lawsuit against the university to regain full ownership of the image. Designed 27 years ago, Davis had received $200 for his effort on this project.

Apparently, money is the bottom line of this argument. Even though Chief Illiniwek is no longer seen during basketball and football games, this iconic symbol still generates millions of dollars in retail merchandise as many UI fans continuously support it.

Naturally, the university remains resolute that they own the trademark for this logo and its related word marks. It is currently working on a plan to sell merchandises online bearing this logo.

But who really owns the logo?

According to a news article, UI rightfully owns the trademark registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In spite of this, Davis insists he had an agreement with a former associate athletic director that in the event the logo is discontinued or rejected he will retain the ownership. Unfortunately, there is no written contract to support his claims.

Disclaimer: The logo used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

With so many trademark lawsuits filed today, many organizations are now more vigilant and to some extent paranoid against any confusingly similar logo or mascot designs seen both online and offline.

Another case of look-alike logos happened in Stafford, Virginia. According to Fredericksburg.com, the Collegiate Licensing Co. has ordered Conway Elementary School to change its official mascot design because it resembles, almost a mirror image, of Penn State University’s Nittany Lion. Although that lion is not a usually used in the merchandise sold by Penn State, they are still the rightful owner of this trademark.

Perhaps a strong believer of trademark properties, this elementary school willingly obeyed the ordered and unveiled a new mascot named Spike last November. Unlike the former lion mascot that is very fierce and intimidating, Spike is more apt for elementary students.

This cute and very friendly-looking mascot sports a train conductor’s cap and red bandana since Conway is located near the Leeland train station. Moreover, it uses a clever tag line “On Track for Success” to go with this makeover.

Disclaimer: The images used here is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

The problem with using humans or real animals as mascot is that sooner or later you will have to replace them. That’s why many businesses opt for cute mascot designs and costumes such as Loggy, the friendly and warm mascot of LDW.

Take for instance, Nin the black and white mascot cat of Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. After 14 years of service, he has finally retired due to medical reasons. Apparently, the four-hour trek to visit his veterinarian is already very taxing for this 17 year-old cat. To make the situation worse, he had undergone tooth removal for all of his teeth were already rotten.

Despite his masculine gender, he is named after the famous French-born female author Anais Nin. Since 1932, the observatory has used different kinds of cats primarily to act as mice hunters. Similar with his predecessor, Nin has evolved into a friendly and loving companion of many researchers and visitors.

It will not be long before a new cat will take over the post left by Nin. Mount Washington Observatory and the Conway Area Humane Society are now running a so-called “Mascot Primary” today from 8 AM to 7 PM to elect the new Observatory mascot.

via The Herald News

Well, it’s not everyday we see something really weird! While there are so many mascot fights recorded in the history of sports, seldom you will see some flirting in action. To make matters really controversial, it’s no less than the former Baywatch babe, Pamela Anderson.

Perhaps feeling a bit depressed after her quick marriage with Rick Solomon, Anderson went to watch a Vancouver Canucks game and decided to give the lucky mascot, FIN, a torrid kiss! Sure, there’s nothing really wrong with dating NHL players but when you start hooking up with a mascot, there must be really something wrong with you! In any case, we can’t blame Pam for having some fun time with this very adorable mascot.

But enough of Anderson, let’s talk about FIN. Well, he’s a 6’3” mascot of NHL team Vancouver Canucks who is known for his super skills of shooting mist from his blowhole when the team scores a goal or when simply having fun with the fans. Perhaps we can add his oozing charisma in the list as well. Created in 2001, FIN is a one of the newest members to the NHL’s mascot family.

via With Leather

Xerox, a powerful brand strongly associated with photo copying, will bid adieu its long-time logo design starting this year as part of its global brand identity overhaul. This major brand makeover marks the first in its 40-year history.

According to BusinessWeek, the new logo unveiled today is a serious effort to break the misconception that Xerox is just a copier company and “get customers to think of Xerox in a different light”. Apparently, the long-time symbol belongs to the era where the IBM logo is the gold standard.

From the current text-based logo or “wordmark”, the new logo features the FS Albert font and a red sphere with an intersecting graphic ribbon to symbolize its global reach. You might see some resemblance with our new logo design wherein we used a gray sphere with an embossed letter “L” on it.

The reason for using lower-case letter and rounded graphic font is to convey a friendlier and more approachable identity as well as hype its key competencies such as forward thinking and innovation.

With the old logo and brand image, Xerox is perceived as a “dependable, traditional, and established” company based on a number of market studies conducted. The new identity will give the company a fighting chance against competing brands like HP, Canon and Toshiba who are all recognized for innovation and modernity.

Disclaimer: The logo used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

Despite the popularity of the crocodile logo design owned by French fashion company Lacoste, its clout is not powerful enough to ban other crocodile logos. In this case, it’s a fight against a dental company in the UK named The Dental Practice.

In fact, this is the second battle between the companies. Founded by dentists Dr Simon Moore and Dr Tim Rumney, the dental company has decided to use a crocodile logo because of its natural association with teeth. But when they tried to register this logo design in 2004, legal counsels for Lacoste were quick to disprove their application for it is confusingly similar to their famous crocodile logo seen on millions of polo shirts worldwide.

The striking differences between the two crocodiles are its position, red tongue and the white oblong scales. Much to the disappointment of the fashion company, the UK Intellectual Property Office body ruled in favor of the Dental Practice. Lacoste was ordered to pay 1,450 pounds for this lawsuit.

As expected, Lacoste filed an appeal to reverse the verdict. Unfortunately, the decision of the government body remains the same for they do not believe it will confuse the general consumers.

Via Reuters

The city of Birmingham, Alabama Logo Design has unveiled its new logo design and revamped government Website using “magic” as its theme. Instead of pulling a rabbit out of the black hat, it uses the city skyline together with a tagline “More Magic Than Ever” written on a red ribbon.

This logo makeover is intended to refresh the identity of Birmingham city so it is more presentable when promoted locally or to other countries across the globe.

According to The Birmingham News, it was the idea of Mayor Larry Langford to use “magic” to hype the city’s economic prowess as the steel capital in the past and as a “health care, business, banking and legal service driven economy” today. Because some people still believe the magic of this city has already died, this facelift could help correct that impression.

Yet, the city government should have paid more attention to the use of “magic” in this campaign. While this is very appropriate for theme parks and other kid-related businesses, it is different in this industry. Magic, among adults, has a negative association with deception or scam. Relating that to a city government might mean omission, corruption, malpractices or even disappearing taxes.

Judging from many negative comments in an AL.com blog, I’m pretty sure that is how the majority interprets magic in government setting. One commenter suggests that the more appropriate tag line is “More Slight of Hand Than Ever” while another person said it was copied from a monopoly board game.

via Daily Dixie

This year marks the implementation of the redesigned National Football League (NFL) logo unveiled last August 2007. It will be the first logo makeover implemented by the league since 1980. Looking back, the decision to alter the infamous “NFL Shield” is to create a meaner and leaner version.

Very obvious changes are seen on the color used (darker), the number of stars and the image of the football. You might notice the alterations are not really radical but more of improvements. Each modification carries some meaning.

For instance, the number of stars was reduced from 25 to only 8 to represent the 8 AFC and NFC divisions. However, the reason for using 25 stars on the logo remains a mystery. Even the new designer failed to trace its origin since it was first used in the early 40s. Also, the football located at the center of the logo is adjusted to look a lot like the football on top of Vince Lombardi championship trophy.

While these changes are rather simple, its implementation is quite expensive and extensive. Every NFL uniform must be changed to reflect the new design. Even the staff within the stadium must also put on the new symbol.

The new logo will make its debut in April 2008 during the NFL draft.

Via Tom McMahon

Disclaimer: The logo used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

University of Akron’s cuddly kangaroo mascot Zippy has won the much-coveted title Capital One Mascot of the Year, after pulling in millions of votes. He defeated 11 other talented and very appealing mascots to bring home the prize of $10,000 to the university.

This annual contest started last September 10, 2007 as a way to honor the unsung heroes of college football. The 12 mascots were chosen based on their pedigree, originality, and interaction with fans. University of Minnesota’s very energetic Goldy Gopher has bagged the second spot.

Other competing mascots are Cosmo Cougar (Brigham Young University), Hairy Dawg (University of Georgia), Cocky (University of South Carolina), Otto (Syracuse University), Joe Bruin (UCLA), Monte (University of Montana), Big Red (Western Kentucky University), HokieBird (Virginia Tech), Cavman (University of Virginia), and Seymour (Univ. of Southern Mississippi).

Zippy is 7-foot kangaroo mascot with prominent tail and pouch. He’s also very popular with his signature moves called tail whip and crowd surf. This animal is used to symbolize the winning qualities of great athletes – speed, agility, power, and relentless determination. Zippy became the official mascot on May 1, 1953.

via Ohio.com

Disclaimer: The logo used is for reference only. Hence, copyright belongs to the respective owners. If you are the owner and wish to have the image removed from this post, please send an e-mail to remove-logo@logodesignworks.com.

Being the man or woman behind a famous mascot is not a walk in the park. Aside from wearing such oven-like suits, your main responsibility is to entertain the crowd regardless of age or gender. To matters more severe, some organizations ask for more – passion or obsession.

This is exactly the values needed by the University of Florida logo for anyone who wants to play the role of their infamous Gator mascots Albert and Alberta.

The cuddly Albert has been the official University Logo mascot since 1970. Before that, a live alligator named Albert was the first official mascot in 1957. It was replaced by a mechanical alligator robot for a time until Albert the alligator mascot arrived. Alberta came in 1986 as sidekick.

Every year the university holds a try out to determine the ultimate Gator fans. Scrutinized by 7 judges, each aspiring candidate must perform some skits and undergo interviews to assess their improvisational skills.

Albert and Alberta do have several duties to perform. Aside from the regular football games and parades, they also attend birthdays, anniversaries, and even weddings across Florida. Vacation is out of the option for they must still be present during holiday breaks. A 2.5 grade-point average is also a must.

What’s in it for the “lucky” candidate? Aside from the honor of representing his or her alma mater, they are paid $350 per hour for private events or $250 if only one Gator is present. For university events, a discounted rate of $175 an hour for the couple. More importantly, they are entitled to partial scholarships.

via The Ocala

Every time you plan to insert a logo of another company in your Website or printed materials, you should seek permission from that company or consult with an experienced legal expert first. If not, you may end up like this case below.

Angie’s List, a membership service that compiles consumer ratings of local service companies and contractors in multiple cities across the United States, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against its rival company Ameritech Publishing for using its cartoon character servicewoman logo.

The company claims their ratings were published by Ameritech in yellow-page telephone directory listings of the businesses without their permission. Moreover, the logo of a servicewoman giving a thumbs-up has also appeared in print ads of some companies offering services such as gutter repair, plumbing and glass installation.

Though Ameritech assured the company that they will no longer use the logo, they failed to remove it in their most recent 2007-2008 Yellow Pages directory.

Angie’s List demands that Ameritech must give part of the revenues generated from sales of its Yellow Pages. An alternative is to recall and destroy all Yellow Pages directories containing the servicewoman logo, a very difficult remedy which will not likely prosper in court.

Via Indiana Law Blog

You might remember our post last month about how caricatures can help identify criminals better. But do you know that caricatures can also affect your brand? Seth Godin, a famous marketing guru and co-founder of blogging platform Squidoo, believes the same concept also applies to business.

The best brands are caricatures of their true selves. Yes, they must have exceptional ‘features’ (a step that’s easy to skip, but without which leads to failure) but then, over time, those features become a caricature. During the formative days of Fedex, the caricature was that their drivers would even rent a helicopter to get just one package delivered on time. It’s easy to turn Starbucks’ variety and focus on your needs into a caricature as well, “half-caf, extra hot, short macchiato, extra foam, with soy, in a ceramic mug….”

In creating caricatures, you exaggerate some prominent facial features of a person. In running a small business, you can overstress your key competencies like excellent customer service, low price or product superiority. If you’re a running a small business which is very dependent on your personal image, you might also want to include your caricature in your business card. All these efforts will help make your brand or image memorable to the heart and minds of your target market.

You may also want to check some caricature samples we created here a Logo Design Works.

Photo via andsuchandsuch

Today, many schools nationwide are criticized for using American Indian as part of their logos and mascots. Several schools have already changed their designs to avoid possible conflict with concerned groups.

This situation is somewhat similar with Terre Haute South Vigo High School in Indiana. Known as the “home of the Braves”, the school has decided to do away the American Indian head and replace it with an arrowhead logo. However, the old logo might still appear in some materials such as curriculum guide or athletic schedules.

Unlike other schools that encountered conflict with the community, the logo makeover came from the initiative of the people behind this high school. The decision to phase out the American Indian head was made as early 1998 but there is no definite deadline for its full implementation. Still, the committee has decided to retain the name “Braves”.

Overall, the feedback on the new logo is positive and without much hesitation from any group. Some people however cannot understand the reason for banning American Indian as logo or mascot. Though it is clearly explained that it might tarnish their culture, some think using them is a way to honor that culture.

Via The Tribune-Star

Meet Trojan Man, the highly energetic and cute mascot of Parkland High School (PA). Fans love him because of signature moves like doing backflips for every point scored, engaging children watching in fake sword fights, posing the Trojan akimbo stance, flinging custom designed t-shirts to the fans using a slingshot, and being hoisted into the air by the cheerleaders during the football games.

For about 2 years no one dared to do the part of this unique Trojan mascot until Clint Gyory. Reluctant at first, he quickly enjoyed being the Trojan Man who is dressed with a very large head, a read skirt, gray cape, and white fit spandex upper garment.

The Trojan Man is seen during the most football games in the home court. Clint’s strong physique complements the strong image of the Trojan Man. His experience in gymnastics is a really big factor in doing his stunts or tumbling, wowing the audience, and making the crowd go wild.

The last person powering the Trojan Man mascot two years ago did not last long. He only stayed for a couple games and quit after many people made fun of him.

Via The Morning Call

As part of its bid to be the host country of the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Brazilian Olympic Committee has unveiled the official London 2012 Olympic logo disaster of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil dubbed as Rio2016.

According to the winning designer, Ana Soter, this logo was inspired by Brazil’s passion for sports. Soter used the heart-shaped Sugar Loaf to represent thrill and passion of Brazilians for sports. The exclamation point in the number 1 of the year 2016 represents the excitement of the people to be the host country.

Thanks to the use of vibrant colors, the president of the Committee believes this design “conveys energy, happiness and also the city’s characteristic of warmly welcoming all different races and cultures, just like Brazilians do.”

The logo was declared winner by the jury in a contest held by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Unlike other Olympic logos, it did not solicit any feedback from the community.

Rio de Janeiro will be competing against other cities such as Doha (Qatar), Chicago (U.S.), Tokyo (Japan), Madrid (Spain), Prague (Czech Republic) and Baku (Azerbaijan).

via Sports Features Communications

Even religious personalities, places of worship and events are now embracing the power of logo design. One new example is the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Archdioceses of New York and Washington, D.C. on April 15-20, 2008.

The logo shows a photo of the beloved Pope waving both hands in front of the yellow-screened photo of St. Peter’s Basilica. There is also a tagline “Christ Our Hope” to reflect the Pope’s encyclical, “Spe Salvi” or saved by hope. This is the Pope’s invitation to the people to encounter Jesus Christ in a more intimate and personal manner. There is also a text below the big tagline or overall theme saying “Apostolic Journey to the United States 2008.”

The aim of the great logo designer (read what to look for in a good logo designer) Donna Hobson is to project the Pope with a welcoming charisma so she selected the photo of him smiling to the crowd. Hobson also used yellow and white to incorporate the papal colors in the design.

Although some people question the need for a new logo just for this occasion, I do hope you focus on the merits of the design. Similar to the concept of designing a logo for your church, it should encompass both your beliefs and professionalism. Symbolisms are very important in some religions such as crosses or other angelic symbols. The important thing is to stick with conservative and simple designs to avoid offending members of that religion.

Via ZENIT

In preparation for the upcoming 2010 World Expo in Shangai, China, event organizers have unveiled the official mascot named Haibao or “treasure of the world” when translated to the English word.

Integrating tradition and modern concepts, Haibao takes the form of the Chinese character REN ? to resemble a human being. As the official mascot, Haibao will represent the Expo as a prestigious platform for cultural exchange.

This cute and curly-haired mascot is colored blue to symbolize water, sea, earth, life, dreams, the future and technology. Organizers hope this will further support the event’s theme and tagline “Better city, better life”.

The design team leader characterizes Haibao as a happy, naive, confident and lovely child. It was selected from about 27,000 entries submitted from 21 countries around the globe.

There are several factors considered for choosing the appropriate mascot design. One, it should reflect the culture of the host country, China, and must adhere to Chinese laws and social norms. Additionally, it should be easy to understand, remember, and use in different licensed products including stationeries and souvenirs.

via Beijing 2008

Even age-old logos will have a hard time escaping critics clamoring for discrimination. Such is the case of Nordic Battlegroup’s male lion logo when it was “digitally emasculated” or castrated.

According to the Times, a group of female Swedish soldiers filed a sex discrimination complaint to the European Court of Justice simply because they could not identify with the male lion’s willy on their army crest. However, the lion is supposed to represent courage and nothing else.

Understandably, the great logo designer (read what to look for in a good logo designer) Vladimir Sagerlund was very upset about this digital alteration for it has a historical value. In an interview with a Swedish newspaper he said, “The Army lacks knowledge about heraldry. Coats of arms containing lions without genitalia were given to those who betrayed the Crown.”

Adland commented this snip is really trivial since the lion is still clearly a male with that mane. Then again, this is an important reminder for many small business owners to think on a long-term basis when designing a logo and anticipate any form discrimination no matter how absurd. Indeed, this may be the saddest logo change of 2007.

In celebration of Santa Fe’s 400th anniversary, this logo design featuring the Sun symbol with adobe buildings under has earned the most number of votes and declared the official symbol of city’s three-year commemoration.

However, the Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Committee still needs the consent of indigenous tribe of New Mexico, the Zia Indians, to use their stylized Sun symbol. For many years, this sun symbol has been used without any permission from Zia. The committee promised to change its logo if they tribe do not approve it.

This Sun symbol, a red circle with rays pointing at four directions, is regarded by Zia Indians as sacred. It represents the important fours in their lives – 4 seasons of the year, 4 major directions in the compass, 4 seasons of life, 4 periods of each day, and 4 sacred obligations (have a strong body, clear body, pure spirit, and affection for others).

You can see this on the flag of New Mexico. Next year, the same design will be used on the New Mexico coin in the U.S. Mint’s 50 State Quarters series.

During the entire commemoration, education will be the focus next year. In 2009, local events will take the lead while the committee will concentrate on national and international events in the third year.

Via Sante Fe New Mexican

After 85 long years of improving American lives, the monthly general interest family magazine Reader’s Digest will finally say goodbye to its long-time logo starting January 2008. A more hip and tech savvy design will replace the timeless logo. Logo Design pointed out some of the noticeable changes:

1. Sans serif vs. serif
2. Emphasis on Digest vs. Reader’s
3. Red stylized apostrophe vs. black apostrophe
4. Speech bubble in “D” vs. no speech bubble
5. URL vs. no URL

More than that logo, subscribers will see an entirely new Reader’s Digest starting with the December issue. Included in this re-branding campaign are:

New tag line: Life Well Shared.

Target young readers. The magazine’s average reader is 52 years old. One of its strategy to target the younger audience is to shift from direct mailing to online advertising. That’s why URL RD.com is an important part of the new logo. Also, the magazine has partnered with hip brands like Verizon, Samsung, and South Beach as advertisers.

Ads on the back cover. Before you can only see homespun illustrations but now it will display full-page ads there. Dove is the first lucky brand to get that much coveted ad space.

Via Mediaweek

As a way to update the brand image and exude new aura to Walt Disney’s movie-studio theme park, it will be renamed from “Disney-MGM Studios” to “Disney’s Hollywood Studios”. Moreover, a new logo design was unveiled last October to symbolize this major change.

The cluttered logo combining the MGM insignia and Mickey Mouse with a clapboard will finally say goodbye after hanging at the gate of the theme park for 18 long years.

It will be replaced with a simple yet very refreshing design effective January 7, 2008. Since Mickey Mouse is a very important figure for the company, he is still featured holding a clapboard inside the letter “O” of the word “Studios”.

A major difference is the use of fonts. The old logo used three dominating colors which are blue, white, and yellow. On the other hand, the new logo of Disney’s Hollywood Studios uses only the black as its dominating color with a simple gold lining.

You might notice both designs use 3 major fonts to represent Disney, MGM or Hollywood, and Studios.

More importantly, this is not just a simple makeover to create a buzz. Disney will add a new ride called Toy Story Mania!, a new outdoor show called “Block Party Bash”, a new High School Musical street show. All these additions are meant to augment this major re-branding effort.

Via LogoBlog

Inspired by the popularity of famous streets like Broadway in New York and armed with the ambition of revitalizing its downtown area, development officials in Clearwater City, Florida logo design has decided to promote a particular street as the ideal destination instead of the whole downtown.

A new Cleveland Street logo featuring colored dots and modern flower design on a black background is launched to kickoff this branding campaign. It will be used in all marketing materials and for recruiting new retailers.

However, one council member did not find this new logo very fitting for Clearwater. He specifically contested the use of black background because it counters the image of Sunny Florida. On the contrary, the majority believed the color black added a touch of elegance to the design.

While some branding experts find it unfair to promote a portion of downtown area, their consultant recommended this approach after thoroughly evaluating the potential of this street and the entire downtown area.

Cleveland Street is currently considered as dead end because storefronts are bare and the beach traffic is already gone. This will dramatically change in the near future as the city invested heavily in a new streetscape to make it very appealing to pedestrians.

The recruitment strategy aims to bring new coffee shops, restaurants, shops, and other retail stores in the street to make it more alive, attractive, and profitable.

Via St. Petersburg Times

The United Nations has unveiled the official logo for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2008.

Designed by TBWA\South Africa, this logo design trademark symbolizes the intention of this powerful agency to educate the people around the globe about our basic human rights such as the right to free speech.

Given the international importance of this new logo, TBWA\South Africa has conducted an internal competition to determine the most fitting logo for this historic event. The main direction to create a new design that will symbolize the codes of human rights in the global community and it must be independent of the current UN logo.

The winning logo designer Yolande Mulke still used the current UN logo as his inspiration. He adopted the laurel wreath and modified it to look like a person with outstretched hands. This, according to Mulke, creates the “feeling of peace and welcoming that the man with his arms wide open projects.”

Via BizCommunity.com

Using flash logo design and flash animation is one way to inform and entertain your customers at the same time. Its light-hearted appeal is not only suitable for kids but also to adults who are young at heart.

No wonder Delta Airlines has resorted to animation to bond and share experiences with their airline passengers. This led to the creation of animated video series called Planeguage, a coined word for language of traveling by plane.

This series aims to find funny side of the usually annoying pet peeves of many airline passengers. Hopefully, this cheerful interpretation will help each passenger to be more aware of the etiquette when traveling by plane.

It’s unique, refreshing, very entertaining, and most of us can relate with each animated video. For instance, the video “Kidtastrophe”shows how babies and children on board can sometimes be exhausting as they cry and kick the seat of the passenger in front of them.

Another comical video clip entitled “Shady Lady” deals with an inconsiderate window-seat passenger raising and lowering the window shades without regard to other people around her.

Hey, maybe it’s time you use some animation to your small business and engage your customers with humorous stories or tips.

The Montreal police have decided to let go of the river, downtown skyline, and mountain to pave way to its new logo designed with a five-pointed star, a human silhouette, and the acronym SPVM (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal or City of Montreal Police Service).

The human silhouette in the new logo represents the agency’s respect for fellow human beings. The five-pointed star, on the other hand, is the long time visual identity representing strong unity among people.

Moreover, Montreal police also created a new slogan: “The SPVM, a committed team” or “Le SPVM, une équipe engagée” in French.

Since the last logo was launched in 1972 or 35 years ago, the Montreal police believe this is the right time to adopt a new and unified identity. It will be worn as a badge on the uniforms of police officers, cadets, metro cops, crossing guards, parking meter attendants, towing inspectors, taxi inspectors, and all civilian employees.

It will also be used in all printed materials like business cards, print productions, stationery, and flags. The Montreal police inspector confirms this new design costs about $25,000.

As for the schedule of implementation, the new logo will be on the uniforms within 3 years while all police vehicles in 5 years.

Via Montreal Gazette

As early as now, the National Collegiate Athletic Associated (NCAA) is already prepared for the 2009 Final Four for the Division I men’s basketball team, which will be held in at Ford Field stadium in Detroit.

Recently, NCAA together with GM CEO and Chairman Rick Wagoner has unveiled the official logo featuring a wheel, purple flames and the big Final Four text. One can only assume the wheel is used to represent General Motor’s massive support to this upcoming and very popular tournament.

Why is NCAA such a big deal? Aside from very ardent basketball fans very excited to show their support to their alma mater, the Final Four is also expected to generate about $75 million for the local economy. Depending on the outcome of the elimination round, the Ford Field stadium has a seating capacity of 70,000.

“It’s another great chance to kind of demonstrate for the city of Detroit what’s going on here. It’s very important, because we’ve got a good story to tell,” Wagoner said during the unveiling of the logo.

The Final Four is scheduled on April 4 to 6, 2009 and the University of Detroit Mercy is the host school.

Via The Detroit News

When developing a new logo, it is very important to check if it will offend a particular subgroup or community. It does not have to be a big research but simple conversations with your target customers and associations you’re connected with.

A current example is the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) and its new logo design. The NCCA has ruled that its previous logo designed with 2 green and gold feathers plus the nickname Tribe violated their policy towards use of American Indian mascots, imagery, and names.

Although the college is able to retain its Tribe moniker, they introduced a new logo to avoid any penalties from NCAA. The new official logo will use its traditional shades of green and gold. In addition, they updated their well-known text-based logo – W&M monogram in four similar designs.

As a way to test its new logo, the logo committee created a Website specifically to get suggestions or feedback from the school community. More than 600 designs were reviewed before they finally ended up with the “W” and “M”.

Expectedly, the next target of the committee is to design a new mascot to go with the new official logo.

More details here.

When you start suing another school over an alphabet then there is really something wrong with the situation. The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a small college in Kansas, Washburn University, for using the logo “W” in its athletic merchandises.

Washburn’s blue “W” logo is alleged to be confusingly similar to Wisconsin’s red “Motion W” logo used by the Badgers since 1990.

While some people find it absurd and a bit weird to fight over an alphabet, UW is dead serious about this case. Moreover, the university is seeking payment for punitive damages and compensation for profits earned by that school logo.

According to Wisconsin State Journal:

UW-Madison’s logo, the lawsuit states, is used on dozens of licensed products, such as clothing, glassware and souvenirs. Washburn’s W is used the same way. That’s a problem, the lawsuit states, in that purchasers seeing Washburn ‘s unlicensed products and “perceiving a defect, lack of quality or any impropriety are likely to mistakenly attribute them to Wisconsin, ” causing irreparable harm “to Wisconsin ‘s goodwill. “

Despite several disputes with other “W” logos, this is the first time UW will take another school to court. According to the lawsuit, UW has been communicating with Washburn for the past six years and has requested them stop using the Motion W logo. While Washburn assured UW that it will stop using this famous logo, they further expanded its usage.

In case you’re planning to use one of the alphabets as your official logo, you may want to reconsider that decision, Instead, your should use a more creative logo design so you need not face any trademark infringement complaint.

Minor League Baseball team the Lehigh Valley IronPigs has decided to change name of its new mascot “PorkChop” after getting some complaints from the Hispanics that it is offensive.

This adorable mascot is described as a portly, affable IronPig wearing the IronPigs home uniform and jersey number 26 – the atomic number for Iron (Fe). However, the urban dictionary defines pork chop as a racist term for people of Puerto Rican descent.

When I checked Urban Dictionary, this is one of the definitions of pork chop:

A derogatory term toward the members of the Portuguese race. Literally referencing the similar sounding of Portuguese as well as comparing the people to a slab of meat.

This Triple-A affiliate of Philadelphia Phillies claimed they are unaware of such term. That’s why they decided to change its name quickly to Ferrous, an adjective derived from the Latin word ferrum (iron). The term is commonly used to indicate the presence of, or having to do with, iron.

The names are all based on the “Name the Mascot” contest as they look for a fun and either pig- or iron-oriented moniker. PorkChop was the winning entry of the said contest but when some people complained about its offensive meaning they restarted the contest. Ferrous emerged the winner from more than 7,345 submissions collected.

Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Co. is going after the upscale market next year with its new V8-powered, six-speed auto transmission, and full-size luxury sedan named Hyundai Genesis.

Edmunds Inside Line reports Hyundai has created a new logo design using a “black hexagonal shield framed by a pair of wings” to complement this new product. You might be familiar with this new logo design because it is very similar with the winged logo of another luxury car, Bentley.

However, you will not see this new logo design in the U.S. market because it will be exclusively used in Korean and Chinese markets only. I’m pretty sure Bentley will not like this new design and a cease and desist letter will likely land on Hyundai’s desk should they opt to use this.

Then again, do you think Hyundai should have created a more unique logo for Genesis? Looking like a Bentley knockoff is not a good way to enter the upscale market.

While the plan is to market this luxury sedan to Asian markets, I think they should have considered the global impact of its new logo. From a branding perspective, using the same logo in different countries will help increase global awareness and image.

Shea Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in New York City and known as the longtime home of Major League Baseball team the New York Mets. In 2008, it will finally say goodbye after 45 years to pave way for a new stadium named Citi Field.

To celebrate the final year of this historical stadium, the New York Mets has unveiled a commemorative logo to signify the league’s 45-season history.

It made some alterations in the current Mets logo design by adding a side-by-side rendering of Shea Stadium’s current and original exterior set against a backdrop of the New York City skyline.

This new logo will be worn by the New York Mets as a patch on the right sleeve for all home games in 2008. This creative logo design will also appear on other promotional materials like schedules, Mets Media Guide, Mets Magazine, Yearbook, and tickets.

Opened in 1964, this famous Shea Stadium not only served as home to both baseball and football teams the Mets and the Jets. It also hosted several memorable events like concerts of the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, and Simon & Garfunkel.

In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, three mythical mascots are introduced to the public.

Contrary to a feedback by a marketing expert, these mascots are not Pokemon modern. Instead, they are all inspired and heavily influenced by local Aboriginal mythological creatures, British Columbian and Canadian culture and wildlife.

Who are these guys?

1. Sumi – a Thunderbird and animal guardian spirit with passion for saving the environment.
2. Quatchi – a young and gentle Sasquatch with blue earmuffs and brown beard.
3. Miga - a part sea bear and part killer whale inspired by the First Nations’ legends of the Pacific Northwest.

Sumi and Quatchi represent the Olympics logo while Miga is the mascot for Paralympics. All mascots are designed by Vancouver-based Mimeo Design.

While these cute and cuddly mascots are a hit with the many children, criticisms are also unavoidable. Some of the harsh comments about these mascots are Pacman-like, regionally irrelevant, goofy Japanese-looking cartoon characters and don’t look Canadian at all, hideous mutants, and do not represent the Olympic spirit.

Others simply felt the Olympic committee should have used the traditional Canadian symbols like the Maple leaf, a moose, a beaver, or a hockey puck so it is more relevant to the general culture.

Do you believe this logo design is actually worth £1 million?

Yes, this is owned by the city of Edinburgh, Scotland and was created by the infamous London-based agency Interbrand as part of its “Inspiring Capital” branding campaign in May, 2005.

Initial cost of this 3-year project was worth £800,000 and another £120,000 was added during the actual campaign.

According to a news article, the city council intends to drop this expensive logo by spring. Apparently, its plans to increase awareness and encourage people to visit, live, work and study in Scotland’s capital did not pay off.

The logo represents the city’s “sense of energy” and its famous images like the Arthur’s Seat, the Festival fireworks, and Forth Bridge. In fairness to Interbrand, they had done all requried steps in creating a good brand. These include:

1. Research. Interbrand talked with tourists who visited Edinburgh to get the overall impression.
2. Brand Development. It conducted series of workshops to know the unique selling point of Edinburgh
3. Concept Testing. It ran 16 in-depth interviews, 7 focus groups, and a public exhibition to know which brand position would work best.
4. Launch and Monitoring. Progress is monitored based on different metrics like number of visitors and business investments in the city.

Although there are some claims this campaign is successful, the city council is still waiting for supporting evidence.

Sony to Pay $5 Million over Logo Dispute
For not displaying the logo of a small record company, a U.S. federal court has ordered Sony Music to pay $5 million. The logo of Cleveland International Records must be included on reissues of Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” album but it did not happen.

In defense, Sony claimed it was an unintentional mistake and some corrections were already made. According to BBC, it even accused the small record company of fabricating the logo agreement just to get more money from the company. Too late, the verdict was already handed down.

South African Hates the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup logo

As early as now, the 2010 World Cup fever has already started. In a year-long poll conducted among South Africans in the site not the 2010 logo, 75 percent of the voters do not like the official 2010 FIFA World Cup logo.

Many designers feel the logo is way below standard. Instead of complaining, they created a site and invited other designers to create their own version of the World Cup logo and let the public decide which unofficial logo is more appropriate through online voting.

Although this contest is not sanctioned by the FIFA, many designers created more attractive logos reflecting the South African culture. They intend to submit poster and mascot designs to FIFA, hoping it will be considered. This creative way of showing discontent has opened opportunities to many aspiring designers since their logo designs are exposed to more than 300,000 online visitors.

Via AllAfrica.com

Super Bowl XLII official mascot (see River Rats Mascot). Spike the Super Ball needs to change its name to avoid any possible trademark infringement. This human football mascot designed with snazzy mirrored sunglasses is now known as Team Captain Spike.

Why? There are two issues with regard to its name. Although there is no problem with the name Spike, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee president Bob Sullivan said the NFL is quite bothered that “Super Ball” is confusingly similar with “Super Bowl”.

An NFL spokesman also emphasized their utmost concern to protect the NFL brand and it will muscle every company who do not adhere to their policies. Super Bowl has been around for 42 years and already a very commanding brand in the sports industry. As expected, it will do everything to guard its brand against any business “capitalizing on an intimated affiliation with the game.” To date, there are only 100 companies allowed to promote this brand.

Another bigger issue with “Super Ball” is with California-based toy maker Wham-O (see California Logo Company). Aside from its very popular Frisbee brand, it is also marketing “Super Ball” – a ball with the incredible super high bounce. A cease and desist letter was already sent to the committee to stop using this name.

Although there is a strong legal argument for using “Super Ball”, why risk confronting these two big companies if you can create a new name, right?

Via The Arizona Republic (see Arizona Logo Company)