New agency logo (revision #3)
Robt (76 pencils) | Fri, 2007-07-13 18:19
Here's the latest (see the previous versions with the below links). I know it's backwards thinking, but the boss put a lot of work into a curved red wall in the lobby, so this design needs to look good on the red. I have to say, I wasn't overly sold on the green. Already too much "go green" stuff out there.
Background: The fire hydrant is simply a object associated with a street or, as in our name, avenue. Avenue 25 isn't the most clever or obvious agency name to work with. Showing the full shape of the hydrant should alleviate some of the mis-identification. I think I'd like to stay away from the standard RED fire hydrant. How does the green grab you?
I'm an art director at an ad agency and we're changing our name. What do you think of this logo idea? Thanks!
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When I saw the thumbnail view, I thought it was a building, then I realized it was a fire hydrant. Not really a pro or con, just an observation. Curious though, why the fire hydrant?
As an exploration, I'm curious to see how a sans-serif sharp-corner typeface would look in contrast to the rounded corners of the hydrant graphic.
It needs refining but it's unique and interesting.
It doesn't look so good reversed though which is something to consider.
Also I'm not a fan of the typography, it's a bit "comic sans" for me.
Try something more clean and less cartoon as the logo could do with a bit of grounding to give it a more mature feel.
It runs the risk of looking like a logo for a design company in Springfield run but some bumbling but loveable yellow designer.
www.jamnittygritty.com
I live near Washington DC, so my first thought when I saw this was that it was the US Capitol building's dome with some kind of question mark on it, sideways. Then I realized it was a fire plug. Or a stylized chess piece (bishop). Then I noticed your company name. It feels like a radio station. I dunno. Kinda doesn't do anything for me. It says too much, and not enough, all at the same time.
At the very least, I would encourage you to lose that semi-circular thing that I first mistook for part of a question mark (in Cooper Black, no less -- egad!).
What is the significance of the Capitol dome/fire plug/chess piece? Is it something that people in your city would have reason to associate with you for some reason?
How will this look reversed, printing on a white background, as in, let's say, a newspaper or grayscale page in a trade zine? If printed gray and yellow on the black background, how often do you think you might run into the problem of the gray filling in?
Mara
This is turning into a rawshark test and I have a feeling I'm starting to see things after too many hours in front of the computer. Believe it or not I see the face of an ancient tribal leader.
It also reminds me a cartoon character but I can't put my finger on his name.
I'm also in agreement the type is inadequate and I'm not sure about the 'piss' yellow. For some reason I get the feeling a dog just visited.
www.jamnittygritty.com
Part Earthworm Jim, part Duckman, part Earl of Flem and Earl from Cow & Chicken.
www.jamnittygritty.com
reminds me of Klaymen from the pc game "the neverhood" Link
edit: oh, and it's "Rorschach" - but rawshark would be a good band name.
Dunno.... Why a fire hydrant?
The type is too crumpled together. Give it some space and elegance.
Thanks Ivan, I've got a new version, should I simply create a new post?
Can you edit your original post? If so, just rename the topic to mention it's a revision and post your new work above the old (so we can compare the old vs. new) along with a list of whatever changes you integrated.
If you can't edit the original post, I guess just make a new one stating it's a revision along with the list of changes and link to the old post so people can compare.
Obviously, I don't speak for Ivan, just my suggestion(s).
No. When you revise it, make a new post but keep the old one here. It gets confusing to people who come in late in the game when people are talking about a different picture at the beginning.
Anyways, when I saw it small, it looked like a question mark. I don't get why you're using a thing that notoriously is linked to being peed on by dogs. I would have done something else.
Good call about the dog pee. Am definitely rethinking the hydrant. Thanks for the input!
Rob
The (serif) font is a big improvement.
To me, a fire hydrant suggests a street in a old urban community, while "avenue" suggests something wider, grander, and not so much notable for its fire hydrants -- unless we're talking someplace like 13th Avenue in Brooklyn or something. Is Avenue 25 part of your address? Do you have a fire hydrant right in front of the only decent parking space for blocks around? What is it about fire hydrants?
Also, it used to be said that green tests poorly as a marketing color, unless you're marketing nature, I guess. I wonder if that's still true. Anyone know?
Mara
We're in Phoenix, which to other communities might seem like a slam dunk for some kind of heat theme, but that's been way overdone and we're all on the same even field so it becomes a non-issue. our address in N 25th Avenue, hence the name. A very lengthy naming process resulted in a "keep it simple" attitude. Too many color/object names out there (blue fish, yellow dog, orange owl...). We just moved into a new office, hence getting rid of an outdated name logic. Would be cool to have a green hydrant in the lobby! Other than that, no real obvious connection to the hydrant theme.
Now that the hydrant profile and negative space are clearly visible, the serif typeface works well.
On a small scale, the "advertising and design" tagline may be hard to read if it's against the red.
I like it. Not sure about the green though. Too natural a color to be something that urban. Just a thought. Good work though. I like the typography. Maybe change the ampersand for the word "and" its looks kinda funky.
Overall I still like it, but it does still look like a there's a question mark.
www.jamnittygritty.com
The black now re-emphasizes the question-mark look of the connector thing in front.
Sorry. Fire hydrant? Is this some sort of institutional internalization of the overdone heat theme? I mean, are you all wishing there was a fire hydrant nearby that the cops would turn on so the kids could play in it? I really don't get the focus on fire hydrants. For one thing, how fast do you think your competition would start making dog jokes about it?
Mara
The guys over at 'Blue Dog' just came out with this new campaign.
it looks like a cathedral taken from above.
Sod the colours for now, but rework the device.
Get rid of that bloody question mark.
www.jamnittygritty.com
Could you get away with just the type? Maybe do the 25 in a color?
Mara
You're working pretty fast on these logo revisions... is this a rough concept for production to clean up? The illustration and typography work is pretty crude. Also, do ad agencies really put a tagline 'advertising & design' in their identity? It seems so 'low class' for a group of creative minds.
And the current size of the hyrdrant is overpowering the word mark. You may also try a slightly different angle to eliminate the 'cross' pointed out by plugz.
I'm definitely going to think about the type-only treatment. We're a small agency and are giving up all of our name recognition for this new name. The fear of not incorporating "advertising and design" into the name is that not only will we lose our recognizable nomer but now we won't even have "advertising" in the name like we did before. Not as big a deal to me but more for the owner and his business partner (his wife). I'll just need to convince them...
When I was fooling around with your logotype yesterday, that's what looked good and solid, using the same relative dimensions as you've shown us. If you have a lot of odds stacked against you, I think you don't want to confuse people by trying to associate arbitrary images with your company name. That argument might stick with the owner and his wife, especially since you've already been through the "K.I.S.S." thought process regarding the name itself.
Mara
However, I can see your dilemma with having to place it on a red background—I gather that would look rather Christmas-y.
But I honestly like the green one better. It stems away from the quintessential red fire hydrant.
I designed a tennis logo several years ago and instead of using the common yellow or green theme for tennis, I used a nice cyan blue. It looked really cool and completely unique from any other tennis logo/design.
That's my suggestion and I'm stickin' with it. =P
suzanne maestri-walters :: graphic designer :: www.onegirlcreative.com
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"I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy as long as I can paint." ~ Frida Kahlo
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