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At the risk of offending our Canadian readers I will say that I don’t know much about the province of Alberta, except the passing knowledge about their oil sands and the potential environmental dangers they pose. Apparently, I’m the exact target audience for the new brand launched by the Government of Alberta this week.
“We want to get the correct information out, deal with the misperceptions perhaps. And every time, you know, I watch the video, it gets me certainly emotional about, builds my passion for this province,” [Alberta Premier Ed] Stelmach said Wednesday.
— CBC News
The new identity and branding initiative will cost taxpayers $25 million over the course of three years as Alberta goes on a branding offensive, building on five months worth of quantitative and qualitative research. As far as the logo is concerned, here is what we know:
Alberta’s new logo has been developed to speak to the freedom to create and the spirit to achieve. Such a promise calls for a unique logo approach. It requires a signature that measures up to the Albertan attitude: open, aspirational, strong, dynamic, and genuine. The essence of people realizing possibilities inspires a signature with personality:
• The line weight is strong.
• The flow and movement in the writing style is dynamic.
• The openness of the letters is inviting and the treatment alludes to our mountains and our prairies.
• The handwriting implies that Albertans are creating and endorsing this brand, this province.
It’s actually not bad. My favorite part of the logo is how the “A” mimics the shape of the previous logo, making it evident that someone was paying attention. My least favorite part, however, is the square at the tail-end of the “a.” It serves no purpose and clashes with the free-flow of the script lettering. If it had somehow translated as a visual element in the application in other materials, maybe, but I didn’t see it do anything. So, if I kind of wish away that little square, this is a very satisfying design, being extremely fresh and sort of liberating. The old logo, which I had not seen before, is quite awesome and would probably sell like crazy on a ringer tee at Urban Outfitters.
Thanks to Steve Ross for first tip.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Jeurens’s comment is:
The square at the end symbolises the practical achievement that is to be created by the freedom-like scribblings for me.
Gives it just a little more depth than the handwriting alone would have done for me. I like it.
(then again, I'm no designer by profession, just a long time reader)
On Mar.27.2009 at 07:26 AM
Adam’s comment is:
Nicely crafted, though I agree about the box at the end. If it has no meaning, lose it. This is the kind of branding that wouldn't translate at all to the UK without resorting to age old cliche. It's good to see something apparently unburdened by tradition or history, yet maintaining a visual link to its predecessor.
p.s. Is 'handwritten' the new 'bold and counterless'?
On Mar.27.2009 at 07:29 AM
Erik at Logo Critiques’s comment is:
I agree that the square breaks up the flow of the design. I really can't see a reason for it myself. Anyway, I like the rest of the logo. The Script is nice.
We're starting to see a lot more of the script based logos. I wonder if they will look dated in 5 years...
On Mar.27.2009 at 07:37 AM
Saylor’s comment is:
In the video, they used a large square shaped period, emulating the square shape in the logo. So maybe it's Alberta... period. I don't know if that's good enough reason to have it. But I think it looks ok. Love the handwritten mark.
On Mar.27.2009 at 08:10 AM
Luke D.’s comment is:
They should have used Calgary Script ;)
On Mar.27.2009 at 08:55 AM
holy’s comment is:
a bit off topic, but i wonder if the emergence of handwriting and humanistic script is an effect of the pendulum swinging the other way....away from airy sans serifs that have been industry standard as of late.
just a though.
On Mar.27.2009 at 09:16 AM
Jonathan’s comment is:
Alberta's Albertan alberted another Albertan before it was Alberta...
Seriously tho, I think I'm liking this. My first reaction was NO! how could you get rid of that legendary word mark, but this isn't just a script... this script was cared for. You can tell in the A as Armin said, but also the relationships between the l and b, as well as r and t, are really quite nice.
The video on the other hand was a little lengthy, and the climactic music at the end came in WAY too late. Build me up baby, build me up!
On Mar.27.2009 at 09:17 AM
Maya’s comment is:
Maybe I have a poor attention span, but the video went on too long and the type was doing way too many things. Didn't need every transition or trick in the same 3 minutes.
The mark itself seems to match the mood and message of the video an the script gives it a personal-close-knit-community feel.
On Mar.27.2009 at 09:33 AM
Matt’s comment is:
I agree that the new script typeface is strong and solid, more free and spirited like the client desired.
at first, i thought the square thing was a mistake on the image, but then i saw it wasn't... it seems to contradict the organic style of this logo. i see the square in the print ads and how they used it as a period, but still the connection seems a bit far for me to really believe it has a good reason for being there. maybe its a depiction of where alberta is located in relation to canada??? but like they say in critiques, if you put your hand over it and don't miss it, get rid of it...
and the old logo looks like a badass rock band logo, cool type treatment
On Mar.27.2009 at 09:49 AM
Jonny’s comment is:
I like this. It reminds me of travel ads I see in my Life and National Geographic Mags from the 60s. Retro and stylish. Very carefree and from a time where you could just drop everything and travel. Maybe its the square that reminds me of Natl Geographic.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:03 AM
Jeremy’s comment is:
While i LOVE the old logo, this new one is good as well. I love how the "r" becomes the line that crosses the "t". Elegantly done.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:08 AM
Josh’s comment is:
I also enjoy that they updated the "A" to retain some of the character, but I have to admit it does remind me an awful lot of an oil derrick...
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:09 AM
Impossibly Stupid’s comment is:
They're both just terrible logos. I particularly hate the technique of using flowery prose and presentations to sell a logo that can't sell itself. Their slogan seems like it should more properly be "Alberta: Home of the Unreadable Font Logos" or possibly "Alberta: Our economy is so good we can drop $25 million on things like this instead of providing additional services to our taxpayers". There is honestly nothing I see in the new logo that makes Alberta seem more appealing than the old logo, or even just seeing Alberta typed in plain ol' Helvetica. It is always more dangerous to get "creative" with word marks than graphic logos, and that is exponentially true when the service being branded is a provincial government.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:19 AM
jRod’s comment is:
I have always been a fan of well executed Script logos, and this is no exception. well done.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:40 AM
Nate’s comment is:
The square seemed a little out of place to me too at first. But after watching the video, I think it plays off of the "open door" theme very nicely. It also adds a nice subtle contrast to the flowing lines of the text.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:41 AM
damon’s comment is:
It's nice, although I too don't really feel the square is implemented well or with much purpose. if that line had gone back down into a mountain shape in the square it might have been a cool icon for the natural mix of nature and development (alberta shares the rocky mountains with BC).
the video didn't inspire me that much, but it could have been a lot worse for sure.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:43 AM
PopD’s comment is:
I do like the new logo. Primarily because the script was handled with great intention and I think it fits it's tagline which is also unique.
Being from Wisconsin and the recent tourism logo...i'm jealous.
I like the IDEA of the square at the end. I don't think a square is the right object/shape to draw attention too.
As for the video, I think it tries to own all of those ideas which I think too many places try to do. It's idealistic, but it asks us to buy into too much. Design wise it's a bit generic in its use of brackets and other punctuation as graphic elements.
lastly, the pricetag for something like this isn't about dropping change for a graphic element, they are investing in communicating to people all over the world that they should move to Alberta. Growing their population, growing the number of people of this attitude to join their society and growing their tax base. It's an investment. It's not about the money, it's about doing it right. And if they are going to spend the money, having a solid brand increases the effectiveness greatly.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:47 AM
Pappy’s comment is:
Yea the square is out of place - that's what made me do a double-take. We need more "out of place" options in our lives - screw predictiveness.
On Mar.27.2009 at 10:48 AM
James’s comment is:
I grew up in neighbouring British Columbia and always liked the classic Alberta wordmark found on grain trains coming into our province. I have always seen the old wordmark to be iconic of the prairie province ... this new logo reads to me as highly generic. Moreover, seems to be more a trendy campaign w/slogan than anything else.
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:09 AM
Derrick’s comment is:
Seems to me that the square represents a box and that the script is coming out of it, i.e. thinking outside of the box.
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:10 AM
J. Stanton’s comment is:
Branding can't erase or even distract the emotions of destruction.
The tar sands is a business and environmental atrocity, benefiting a few and hurting the rest of the globe, for generations.
It's worse than you think, with the tailings, the net carbon release, etc., etc. But oil companies can make money from it, so they'll spend heavily to defend the indefensible.
This is lipstick not on a pig, but on the corpse of a murderer.
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:15 AM
Ty Halasz’s comment is:
The logo is solid, but I can't help but notice the very generic nature of the tagline, Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve. Create what? Achieve what? It says so little about the actual province, which is stacked with natural beauty. I would expect that to be their selling point.
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:22 AM
Harris’s comment is:
The square at the end of the word looks much better in different colors. The two oranges above look bad, but those aren't the only colors allowed. Check out the website.
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:31 AM
Hibryd’s comment is:
I'm surprised it took this many comments to rag on the tagline. I think the script is fresh and attractive, but the tagline below is like something out of the "Visionary Slogan Mad-Libs"
On Mar.27.2009 at 11:46 AM
Zero34’s comment is:
the comment from "impossibly stupid" saying "Our economy is so good we can drop $25 million on things like this instead of providing additional services to our taxpayers" is even dumber then the person posting it. $25 million over 5 years is a mere $5 million a year, with a population of just over 3.5 million people that's about $1.40 per person per year. that's NOTHING in an effort to re-brand a province in a larger effort to attract tourism, businesses and investors into a province that is doing so well already. Personally, I can easily see that $25 million doing some good, and this new word mark is just the start. With a start like this, they're obviously paying attention and headed in the right direction!
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:07 PM
Joseph Maguire’s comment is:
Leap years better. Seriously that out dated prior brand was more reminiscent of the 1980s than of Alberta.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:08 PM
Lisa’s comment is:
Am I the first Albertan to comment? Please don't hate me. I'm a Designer - not one of those people involved in environmental atrocity.
While the new script in the new logo is beautiful, I'm so sad to see it replace the previous provincial logo. That logo is so old it's cool! It has an air of authority and professionalism around it. And, I too, will miss seeing it on our trains - and other things.
Although I don't know what kind of (most likely painful) process the Designers went through, I think the new logo looks generic and commercial. Is Alberta a new shopping mall? A woman's clothing store? Did all the diesel trucks and 4x4s I'm surrounded by suddenly disappear?! What about the beautiful jagged Rockies?
And the much talked about random square... My best guess is that it represents the overwhelming number of Conservatives in Alberta. You wouldn't want to put a soft, round friendly shape there - you might be mistaken for a Liberal or NDP province. A round peg does not fit in a square hole.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:17 PM
Anonymous’s comment is:
I don't like that the l and b have a break between them. To me it looks like some guy named Al Berta's signature. And a slightly femmy signature at that.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:20 PM
Frank’s comment is:
Dunno why, but both logos make me think "skiing resort".Which isn't a bad thing :)
I think the new one looks a bit warmer, elegant and fresh so it'not a bad update at all.But having never seen the old logo before, i must say the old one rocks - i actually prefer that a lot over the new one.
I especially like the mountain-esque "Alb" letter combo and indeed as Armin said the logo looks like it's perfect for tees.I'm pretty suprised (in a positive way) that a Government would have these logos (both old and new) as their official ones as both are quite above the average when it comes to city/province/state logos.
Must be some design-savvy people in the Government of Alberta.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:23 PM
Amanda B’s comment is:
I was digging the new logo until someone mentioned that they would miss the old Alberta logo on the side of trains...
The old Alberta logo on train cars is a really common sight in BC as well, and I'm having a hard time picturing this scripty logo rolling along the tracks.
That said I think it's a beautiful treatment of script as a logo, really thoughtful and well resolved. It's a great standalone mark, I just wonder how well it will work in application. I guess only time can tell.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:26 PM
atlantic treefox’s comment is:
sigh. i like the old one better. i might be biased because i like the idea of driving across the trans-canada & seeing all the dated logos. terry fox dreamy.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:43 PM
Mark’s comment is:
It's an improvement, looks like a travel logo! The previous one looks like a brand name. I have one question though, what is the box at the end supposed to represent? it looks like the box was added at the last minute.
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:52 PM
adam’s comment is:
that video was sooooo boring. i watched the entire thing and i honestly could not even summarize what it was about, aside from "alberta." it had no energy, emotion, spirit or creativity to it (which is what the new brand and logo are supposed to represent?). i cant decide if i like the typographic motion graphics or not . . .
and good call about the old logo selling at urban outfitters, that was funny and true. if anyone every says you are not hip or "in-touch," armin, punch them in the nose then direct them to this alberta post!
On Mar.27.2009 at 12:56 PM
goddammit’s comment is:
You know what I would've liked to see instead of the square, a PEROGIE.
The script is quite nice, it's a shock to see this change, but I like the attention to detail and the familiarity of the capital A's slant and arrow shape on the inside.
What I don't care for, is the colour.
To me it looks like baby dookie, and has little relation to the province. (Other than maybe how people drive in Edmonton)
Impossibly Stupid’s comment is:
@Zero34
I have a feeling you didn't watch that brain-cell-killing video that attempts to sell this logo. It doesn't say word one about attracting tourists, businesses, or investors. It really plays like a subtly sinister propaganda piece that aims to lure more outsiders under the control of the Alberta government. That is not the proper role of a government, and that is not something any tax payer should be eager to have their money siphoned off to do.
I don't want to get overly political here, but it's hard not to when the subject under discussion is a government. A government is a monopoly of force for a territory, not a brand to sell people on; what other brand can jail you for not buying their product? In exchange for that power, they are supposed to provide services for the greater good of their citizens. Generic feel-good advertising doesn't accomplish that, no matter how low the cost.
On Mar.27.2009 at 01:04 PM
Paul Riehle’s comment is:
The wordmark is quite nice, strong but elegant. The square at the end is a very odd choice. It almost looks like a mistake, although it may just be the image you used, when its not orange on orange like on their site it is more pronounce, but Im still unsure of what it is trying to say...
On Mar.27.2009 at 01:15 PM
Harris’s comment is:
To be fair, it's $25 million over 3 years, not 5 (as was mentioned earlier). That is a significant amount, but the goal is to get people interested in living in Alberta, visiting Alberta, and starting businesses in Alberta. They want people to think of Alberta as a place to be, instead of a discount department store.
On Mar.27.2009 at 01:48 PM
keith’s comment is:
Too fancy a font for the Texas of Canada in all its redneck glory, Calgary Stampede, and consecutive Conservative governments.
Slogan seems to have nothing in relation to provincial identity. Otherwise, aesthetically pleasing.
On Mar.27.2009 at 02:35 PM
NicKLAUS’s comment is:
Being from BC, I have grown up accustomed to seeing the old Alberta logo on almost every train car I see. This is the only memory that comes to mind when I see the old logo; old rusty train cars, with the logo being covered in layers of graffiti from years of vandalism. And I don't think that's going to change. I'm not entirely up to date on the workings of the production of train cars, so I could be entirely wrong, but a lot of them that I see whizzing past me look like they're over 30 years old which makes me wonder how up to date they really are. With however many train cars there are in this country (which is a lot), I doubt they're about to start rebranding each and every car they have scattered across Canada. By the time the old cars die, and we start to see an influx of this new logo emblazoned on train cars, Alberta will have another new logo to ooh and aww at.
So I don't think we need to worry about losing something that some of us have grown up with. We'll be able to see this old logo for many moons to come. I'm just not sure if this is a good thing .
On Mar.27.2009 at 03:10 PM
Marie’s comment is:
I agree the new logo looks like a travel agency which can be welcome for tourists and travellers. Whatever the reason behind the square, I think it needs to be more obvious. The square is very out of place...
Regardless, I like both the old and new logo.
On Mar.27.2009 at 03:13 PM
Jonathan’s comment is:
NO! I'm seeing an "M" with the "Al" and I'm not liking it. It's all I can see! No... I wanted to like you Alberta, I really did!
On Mar.27.2009 at 03:15 PM
doogs’s comment is:
I had always loved seeing the old logo on Canadian plates passing through every now and again. "Hey! They're from Alberta!" as opposed to seeing mostly visitors from BC.
And, Yes, I would absolutely wear the old logo on a ringer-tee.
On Mar.27.2009 at 04:00 PM
Morgan Smail’s comment is:
Great job on the logo... that script is beautiful and appears to be a great solution for creating a friendlier image. seamless and natural transitions between letters too... wow
unfortunately the video rhetoric was so long-winded and generic, it left one ear just as quickly as it entered the other. not sure I have the slightest idea what makes Alberta special in any way
On Mar.27.2009 at 04:28 PM
Darrel’s comment is:
It seems that sometimes we confuse 'personality' with 'dated'.
I can see the original being called 'dated' but it's established, definitely has personality, and could easily be argued as iconic at this point.
As others have stated, the script face is quite nice, and works, but isn't really pushing any boundaries or establishing any unique personality.
That video, along with the tar sands, are awful. ;o)
On Mar.27.2009 at 05:07 PM
BJN’s comment is:
The video has a pendantic tone beyond tolerance, with a follow-each-word-mechanically pace that belies the aspirational them.
I suppose the new theme is better than "Drill, baby, drill" or it's tar sands equivalent, but the subtext is really the freedom to strip mine and the spirit to pollute dressed up in pretty euphemism.
I couldn't personally work on a PR campaign designed to put a pretty gloss on this:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&om=0&ll=57,-111.45&spn=0.415856,1.257935
On Mar.27.2009 at 06:54 PM
Gustavo Cadar’s comment is:
I like this rebrand. Yes, I do agree about the travel agency feeling but it's just what they wanted, so the logo fits perfectly to the briefing. If they were intending to get rid of the "industrial and oil producer" personality of Alberta, this organic logo is a very clever choice. I'm not a fan of script logos, but I think it works here.
I just don't understand (as many of you) the little square at the end. Would be it representing the city at the end of the mountains? I don't know, but I don't like it anyway.
On Mar.27.2009 at 07:55 PM
Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:
What...huh? Oh sorry, I fell asleep watching the brand video.
The script is nice, not sure the square is needed. Overall, a huge improvement over the original.
On Mar.27.2009 at 09:12 PM
Adam Haase’s comment is:
The new Alberta logo reminds me of the Michael's logo that you noted here on Brand New.
On Mar.28.2009 at 03:03 AM
Max’s comment is:
I really love it. A comprihensible step!
On Mar.28.2009 at 03:11 AM
Paul Cooley’s comment is:
Haha...both of them make me really happy. The script is beautiful. I kinda am digging the square too...but i am sucker for rudimentary forms. The sans serif type makes me cozy too.
It just feels good. Nice work.
On Mar.28.2009 at 03:41 AM
Scott’s comment is:
I like the box/period ... it's a place-setter, like a dot on a map. "You are here."
Now that video on the other hand ... oh, brother ... anybody else watch that and think "how elementary can they get?"
Cliched: follow along with the text as we read very deliberately (and choppily). Not good at all.
On Mar.28.2009 at 07:17 AM
Foster Grant’s comment is:
The video is horrible! The word mark feels too lighthearted and healthy for what it's representing. Here's some truth on Alberta courtesy of Greenpeace.
http://www.travellingalberta.com/
On Mar.28.2009 at 01:02 PM
Shauna ’s comment is:
I think it looks nice enough, the line is thick enough to hold presence but not too thick and the curvyness makes it look more friendly than the old one, maybe I'm just getting that because I write my A's that way.
However Alberta is a plain province, it's really really flat, and I understand with the A, l, b and t it's hard to make it flat they could have tried to make it flat, that writing looks like it should be for a mountainous area like British Columbia.
The square looks alright, I don't dislike it, but it looks sortof out of place like they though just the writing wasn't enough so they threw a square on the end at the last minute.
On Mar.28.2009 at 01:41 PM
Colin’s comment is:
Anybody know who's responsible for the design?
On Mar.28.2009 at 02:35 PM
Oliver’s comment is:
Don't worry about offending Canadians. Most of us hate Albertans.
With that being said, Alberta is oil country. Tourism isn't really their think, so people aren't going to see this logo that much. It's a font, it's not really inspired, but (thankfully) it's not a pressing issue.
On Mar.28.2009 at 06:58 PM
Mongoose’s comment is:
Mmmmm. Well, the old logo has a nifty feel to it.. as if it were on a hockey jersey, or had 'Broadcasting Company' underneath in tiny print. It's dated, but has aged into wonderful retro-chic. Something to be used with a wink to the past.. which is not where you want your tourism department to be. So the refresh is due.
Unfortunately, the 'Al' throws it all off for me. While I understand the mountain echo, my eyes keep reading 'Mberta', when they aren't reading 'Mbertm' or 'Alberla'. I love me some ligatures, but the ones here don't work well; it's nice but a bit too cursive-writing. That 'Al' needs a little tweaking and to be the new 'M' in the Michael's logo. Von G, make it so!
The square at the end.. I think adds nothing, and takes away nothing. As Armin alluded to, if it's going to do something with the overall design language for advertisements and such, it might work well; in this use it's kind of non-effectual.
The Tagline is out of the hat of Random Uplifting Phrases That Could Be About Anyplace. Beats Wisconsin's though.
I give it a C+. It's a needed refresh, but one where the nice cursive energy seems misplaced.
On Mar.28.2009 at 09:42 PM
Stephen’s comment is:
Wow, Its going to be sad to see the old Alberta logo slowly disappear. Its such an icon for anyone who has spent any part of their life on the west coast of Canada. It definitely has a dated feel, however the new logo just stinks of boring travel branding and has very little distinction from so many other logos.
On Mar.29.2009 at 01:44 AM
LL’s comment is:
I spent the coldest winter of my life in Calgary. What was truly chilling, however, was the stodginess of everything about the province.
Despite having in Banff one of the most beautiful national parks in the world, Alberta has continued — until now — to shrug and mosey on, in their weird Cowboy of the North way. I'm delighted that they are finally spending time and money on their image. It's like a fusty old uncle trimming his nosehairs.
Honestly, the 'Calgary '88' stickers are still on the trains from the Winter Olympics. Anything which shifts them has got my vote.
On Mar.29.2009 at 07:13 AM
Cody’s comment is:
@Colin
Cosette Vancouver
On Mar.29.2009 at 04:09 PM
moeed’s comment is:
The old logo is very nice, but this update is nicely done as well. Just wish that box wasn't there though.
On Mar.29.2009 at 05:11 PM
Colin’s comment is:
@Cody
I figured... They (Identica?) did a rebrand for a client of ours' (lame not to get the project ourselves) and it was a hand-written signature very similar to this one.
On Mar.29.2009 at 10:43 PM
Bernard’s comment is:
I don't like the link between the A and the l ; If I want, I can read Mberta or Hberta.
I also feel that's too "Hey! we are green" with this script, I prefer the straight "winter olympics from the eighties" one.
Also, I love your blog.
Winston Steele’s comment is:
I like governments to have sophisticated institutional logos. Happy, carefree, free-flowing? Those aren't characteristics I'm looking for in the organization that governs the people and the public purse.
When I think government, I think 'formal, systematic, businesslike, orderly, coherent, structured, regulated'. To me, this logo -- as others have stated -- might be good on a travel brochure or as the logo for Travel Alberta Inc., but it doesn't give me enough confidence in the serious business of running a province.
It seems that governments have jumped on the 'branding' -- or re-branding -- bandwagon in an effort to promote themselves to outsiders (for tourism or investment) meanwhile diluting their credibility to the insiders (their constituents).
And interestingly enough, the old Alberta logo was one of the least-institutional (ie. didn't incorporate a crest, seal, elements of provincial flag) in the country.
Seen purely as an exercise in logo/brand modernization, I can say "well done". As the logo for a government? I'm sorry, but I'm on an entirely different page.
On Mar.30.2009 at 01:11 AM
thelottery’s comment is:
Does this remind anyone else of Veer? (Not implying that the logo is somehow stolen, I just have a very quick "Veer" reaction when seeing the logo... script, color, general vibe.)
thelottery’s comment is:
Justin Jackson’s comment is:
Another Albertan here.
The new logo definitely gives me a more "creative" feel; from a marketing standpoint I think it will be a positive change.
One concern is that the "free floating" palette for the logo that I've seen on the Alberta website produces some versions of the logo that look plain awful.
I also agree that the old logo was awesome. But, I searched the Alberta gift shop and couldn't find one ringer tee that featured it. It's a missed revenue opportunity for sure.
On Mar.30.2009 at 01:33 PM
Chris’s comment is:
I think as a study in "what would the (old) Alberta logo look like if it were done in script", it works! There's a direct relation from each segment of letters - the Alb still reminds me of mountains, the "e" is throwaway, and the rt are still connected. Super. Good.
But *why*? As it's been stated, there's something retro cool (and comfortable) about the old logo.
Not entirely sure if a new logo will fix the economy... time will tell...
On Mar.30.2009 at 02:54 PM
Chad Thompson’s comment is:
I'm pretty sure this is a font that has been tweaked. Can't put my finger on which one, BlackJack? Either way, its nicely executed aside from the marriage of the A and L. That connection needs more contrast in line weight, otherwise when reading it for the first time, from far away, at a glance, when printed very small, etc, etc. It can be confusing. One reader pointed out that it looks like an 'M'.
Who would admit to spending 25 mil on this with this current economy?
LOVE the old logo, makes me dream of a new TRON movie set in the snow
On Mar.30.2009 at 06:34 PM
Tabby Lavalamp’s comment is:
It's going to be odd seeing this new logo on my drivers license when that comes up for renewal.
I think I'm too close to the subject to judge this fairly. All I see when I look at it is a oil money-hungry government seeing our stained reputation as a source of dirty oil and instead of putting resources into doing something real and helpful, putting money into rebranding.
keifer’s comment is:
Alberta is very obviously trying to change its image with this new logo--and I'm not convinced it will really work. As Alberta's next-door neighbour (a BC'er), I don't think of the province as scripty and warm-orangey. To me, the old logo really does suit Alberta. It looks industrial and it has a minimal kind of beauty to it, just like the prairies.
And $25 million--Yikes! If I were a taxpayer in Alberta, I'd be a little choked.
shawn patriquin’s comment is:
Holy. That video and brand book is nothing more that justifying the very, very, large bill!
On Apr.01.2009 at 04:10 PM
Triska’s comment is:
I find the new logo is just what Albert's tourism needed. The hand written text has a much warmer, inviting characteristic than Alberta's previous uninviting modernist logo.
I believe that's what they were trying to achieve in the new logo and what was emphasized in the video: that Alberta is open to tourists but mostly to immigration; new Albertans.
The box at the end to me symbolizes this open door with the tail end of the last 'a' leading into it. I find it affective both with and without a backdrop.
Overall it's a worthy logo which should co-exist with the existing Alberta logo for which could be used for its government.
Stephen Bosch’s comment is:
With all due respect to the design colleagues...
The new logo is bland and generic. It's boring and it will look dated and uninteresting in but a few years.
The thing that gets me frustrated is the willingness of legislators and bureaucrats to piss away brand equity that took decades to build up. The old wordmark worked (the many positive comments from non-Albertans here should say something) and had huge recognition: people in Alberta know when they see it they're dealing with the Alberta government. What's more, that trust persists despite the foolishness of some of our politicians: most people seem to understand the difference between ministers and the civil service. The wordmark was worth something.
I'm an Albertan and love the province, for all its flaws, yet I found the video vapid. It's too long and it says nothing. God help you if you're actually interested in the place: you won't come up with a reason to be simply by watching this video.
And yeah - the square is stupid.
The Government of Canada has a similarly effective wordmark; thankfully it has survived ill-considered efforts to change it. For an example of a stellar identity program, check it out here:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fip-pcim/man-eng.asp
On Apr.05.2009 at 06:18 PM
nooneknows’s comment is:
The Alberta brand is supposed to be for the whole province, not government. Government's new brand is in the top left corner of their website: http://alberta.ca.
On Apr.09.2009 at 02:21 PM
Tabris’s comment is:
The "New" concept for Alberta will fit in great with the disrespectful way the Provincial Government treats its employees and the mis management of Provincial money. I am one of the people King Ed Stelmack broke his promise to and the loss of my Provincial Government job was used to pay for this Junior High lesson in handwriting. Just like after the fall of the Nazi party the new Alberta Provincial Government can take this multi-million dollar scribble and toss it out with Stelmack. This will help Albertans forget about him and the hardships he placed not only on his Province but those who trusted him to keep his promise to have no job losses. In election 2011 the new Provincial Government can move back the strong blue Alberta logo that is trusted in buissiness sectors all over the world. I am still waiting for my refund as a taxpayer for this mess of an idea.
On Apr.10.2009 at 03:20 AM
Gentleman Agitator’s comment is:
Another iconic word mark bites the dust. Even seeing the old one at a glance, in the distance, I knew that was "Alberta." The replacement is ho-hum. I do not think ho-hum when I think Alberta.
On Apr.10.2009 at 12:19 PM
Brad’s comment is:
Oh, no! I love the old logo. It is so Herb Lubalin-esque. It went out of date, but now seems to have transcended itself and become classic. One of my early projects as a young designer was working on all the brand guidelines for the application of the logo on everything from stationary to advertisements. Tedious, but I learned a lot.
Being a former Albertan I have to say, the province is not very forward thinking when it comes to design (or many other things, for that matter), so I am not surprised by this pedestrian solution. All I can say is "it could have been worse".
On Apr.14.2009 at 04:45 PM
Rey’s comment is:
Another step back into mediocrity. Hooray for Alberta.... yawn
On Apr.14.2009 at 05:42 PM
r_dee’s comment is:
To me the square at the end makes the logo say "Alberta, land of freedom and creativity, as long as you can fit into our little conservative box." Otherwise the logo is just blah, pretty penmanship.
On Apr.15.2009 at 03:19 PM
LoverBentOverLogo’s comment is:
Personally it doesn't remind me of the Veer logo at all. It reminds me of the crappy Alberta Travel logo, which is as outdated as Wrangler jeans.
As nooneknows mentioned.. the scripted Alberta logo is NOT replacing the Alberta logo you all love. The logo you all love is being replaced by the "Government of Alberta " logo, which blows even more than the scripted one.
I wanna know who the Govt. of AB employed to earn $25M... and I want to be considered for the next logo. Its obvious they are giving money away to people who can take direction well.
On Apr.26.2009 at 04:08 AM
cindylou’s comment is:
LBOL: Calder Bateman got the contract, but for this rebrand they outsourced it to Cossette in Vancouver. CB will be doing the bulk of the advertising collateral now.
On May.29.2009 at 10:00 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
