On June 4th, Discovery Communications launched Planet Green, the "first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network," and with original programming on TV and a robust online presence Planet Green demonstrates that there is more than just gloomy, end-of-the-world content surrounding the environment. The new identity, designed by New York-based Open, is a green circle paired with a heavy-duty (and beautiful) sans serif designed by Chester Jenkins of Village. The logo, to some, may seem like an over-simplified or easy solution, but with a name like Planet Green, I doubt there was a more perfect — and most importantly, ad hoc — solution. And unlike the recent circle logo from Euronews this one doesn't feel pretentious nor operate on pure quirk — the quirk actually comes from things like their green or greener press web site and the on-air graphics by Thornberg & Forester. How does such a simple and effective logo come to be in the twenty-first century? I asked Open's proprietor and recent winner of the Cooper-Hewitt's National Design Award for Communication Design, Scott Stowell, a few questions. Oh, and before anyone cries foul, this logo was designed before the We logo but both happened to be released at similar times.
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While it was the LA Lakers that lost to the Boston Celtics in this year's NBA Finals, perhaps the most devastated losers were the Minnesota Timberwolves that traded their 10-time All-Star for a handful of younger players: It was like watching your ex boyfriend or girlfriend break up with you, then seeing him or her marry the greatest catch, have kids, and live in a white picket fence house with a golden labrador retriever. So, maybe unrelated, a little facelift was in order for the Timberwolves, who unveiled a refreshed primary logo during last week's NBA Draft. It's a fun game of spot the differences, and there are some nice tweaks like the highlight in the wolf's face, and the lettering is less fangy.
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In what has to be the most under whelming unveiling yet — and a bad case of stolen thunder — for one of the largest retailers in the world, Walmart (unhyphenated as a single word from now on) just uploaded a formal, band-aid of a press release to their web site confirming the logo change that surfaced over the weekend when The Wall Street Journal reported that the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development had received documents from Walmart with the intent of opening a prototype store there. An artist rendering on those documents showed a new sign over the facade of the proposed store.
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Opening this week in Sendai, Japan is a new exhibit space for the 53-year-old Sendai Astronomical Observatory (SAO), with a new identity designed by johnson banks in London. The first element of the identity is the logo, an arrow created from the name of the observatory in Japanase with the English translation hinged at a vertiginous 45-degree angle. What I love about this is the use of the usually cumbersome need of a logo to appear in two languages, into an integrated solution, as opposed to just repeating the name smaller in the second language. I'm also a sucker for hot pink, so I'm really drawn to wherever the arrow is pointing. Which brings us to the second element of the identity.
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Atlanta Bread Co., hailing from, you guessed it, suburban Atlanta, is a casual bakery-café franchise offering fresh, quality food fast. Originally started as a small sandwich shop in 1993, the company has since franchised into approximately 100 locations in 24 states. As they have expanded, Atlanta Bread has not only enhanced the retail experience of their cafés, but updated their brand identity as well — a process they have been slowly rolling out over the past few months, here is an early look at the change.
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Breastcancer.org, a 9-year-old, and 8 million visits a year online resource for breast cancer unveiled today a new identity. While this is technically a Before/After, the old logo was such a non-logo that I decided to just let the new logo shine. Unlike most brands I cover, I don't have any direct relationship or experience with breastcancer.org — which is a good thing, I think — so this is purely a reaction to the design and hearing about this site for the first time. Designed by Siegel + Gale, the logo is an intertwined pink ribbon forming a circle, giving a new execution and a fresh idea to the ubiquitous single pink ribbons in a loop. I also see a wreath, which can be seen as a welcoming sign on the door, but also as a crown, celebrating those who fight this battle. The color is both gentle and authoritative and the choice of Optima — a typeface I have been championing for some time now — is elegant, personable and familiar. For these and other gut reactions, I have to say this is one of my favorite logos of the year so far — it even looks great on the blue background, a color combination that, in theory, would be preposterous. The shading on the bottom-left part of the circle could be less flat, but it's a minor quibble. This really establishes the web site as a leader in its field and for its audience.
Two of the larger independent branding firms — Laga (formerly known as Lipson Alport Glass & Associates) and Desgrippes Gobé (sometimes known as d/g) — have merged to form Brandimage – Desgrippes Laga. Yes, that's the full name. The new firm now counts with 300 employees across New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, Paris, Brussels, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Leading the firm are Joël Desgrippes and Laga's Jim Barrett, and there is no mention of what happened to Marc Gobé who was the more public face of d/g. Read on if you are ready for some press-releasing.
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If you live outside of New York City, you may only be nostalgically familiar with this frozen dessert retailer by way of mentions on Sex and the City and The Apprentice. And if you're from the 1990s, Tasti is the rumored unaccredited culprit on the "Yogurt" episode of Seinfeld. To the uninitiated, this dairy based treat is "Not frozen yogurt, because it doesn’t contain yogurt. Not ice cream, because it contains less fat," according to Tasti faqs. So let's just call it substance.
Update, 06.18.2008: It has been brought to my attention that The Spalding Group's McCainStore.com "is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee," and that the merchandise sold is representative of their own version of Sen. John McCain's campaign logo (and not the official one). I had received an e-mail announcing the new store the day after John McCain's interview on ABC, and I made the assumption (in part based on a visit to the company web site) that the campaign had indeed updated its brand. I apologize for any confusion that this may have caused.
— Ryan Hembree
Now that the dust has settled on the Democratic Presidential Primaries, the general election for the office of President of the United States has finally begun. Senator Barack Obama, with his populist message of hope and change for America, will challenge Republican senator John McCain for America's vote. Between now and November, signs, banners and billboards will proliferate across the land, from shop windows to front lawns, pitting neighbors, families and friends against one another as politics take center stage.
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