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This identity is not necessarily new actually, back in 2007, the Boston Redevelopment Authority — how cool is their logo? — unveiled the plans to roll out a new brand to identify Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood as a vibrant location where more than 230,000 people work, live and play and establish it as “Boston’s Meeting Place.” Philadelphia-based 160over90 has been in charge of the identity, which involves print materials, signage and, most recently, a large wrap for the historic landmark site of Filene’s Department Store as it undergoes construction.
The thing that caught my attention, more then the wrap shown below, is the logo, which is a rather clever solution for the lengthy word “downtown.” Although I would have personally created a much, much bolder “down” and a much lighter “town” I found the solution to be very clever and in this particular case very fitting. Any downtown in the world could do this treatment, but that the “T” is a cross, only helps to underscore that this is Downtown Crossing.
The rest of the identity has been nicely executed as well and playing off of the idea of “Boston’s Meeting Place” they have done some nice, playful work using the “meet” badge as a way to introduce the diversity of the neighborhood.
And then there is the wrap around Filene’s Basement, titled “Have we met yet?”, where on July of this year, through a three-day photoshoot rendered 668 portraits of the people around the neighborhood which are now plastered one next to the other with the “meet” badge between them. The idea is not totally original, one of Tibor Kalman’s last projects was photographing people crossing Times Square, resulting in 1000 On 42nd Street — but what is 100% original nowadays, right? — so what makes this work for the Downtown Crossing project is the build-up of the “meeting place” positioning and the use of the “meet” badge really ties this together. So even though the identity is slightly old, I thought it was, overall, an interesting branding story.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Jeff’s comment is:
A bunch of thumbs up!
On Nov.17.2008 at 07:20 AM
JBIII’s comment is:
+ own crossing? What is this?
Maybe a little too subtle for the non-deisgn crowd? Execution across the rest of the identity works nicely.
Jones’s comment is:
I read "Down crossing" ...
On Nov.17.2008 at 07:55 AM
Lester’s comment is:
Until you mentioned it, I just read it as "Down Crossing,"—my eyes completely passing over the +OWN part (thinking the + was just a fancy counter to the D). Now that I see it, I like it, but expecting all their viewers to notice the +OWN part (or for some people, maybe it's the DOWN part that they don't see) is kind of like expecting everybody to see the FedEx arrow without being told.
On Nov.17.2008 at 09:21 AM
Neil Martin’s comment is:
I too only seen DOWN to begin with however, it only took me a second to see TOWN. I think this slight delay in realising that there's more to a logo is what makes a good logo. If you can look at it twice and see something new, that to me is perfect.
And the Boston Redevelopment Authority logo is great.
On Nov.17.2008 at 09:29 AM
Colleen in MA’s comment is:
I think this works in context. If a local or visitor is in Downtown Crossing and he or she sees that logo I think the meaning would be clear. Outside of the area not quite sure based on the other comments here. I personally like this design because it is an active, busy section of town and when I hear developers wanting to make it more upscale and antiseptic I cringe. This marketing looks like it's going in the right direction.
On Nov.17.2008 at 09:42 AM
Paul Lloyd Johnson’s comment is:
I like it, but I read the logo as Down Crossing not Downtown Crossing. I think this won't be an issue if you know Boston though. Definitely good, but the Times New Roman used over the meet button? No, No, No.
On Nov.17.2008 at 09:48 AM
rickyaustin’s comment is:
This is well done. Clever mark.
Also, I think I there's someone I know working @ 160/90. If so - hello!
On Nov.17.2008 at 09:49 AM
Jonathan’s comment is:
Oh now you've done it! Only the clever prevail. Great job!
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:12 AM
Josh’s comment is:
Not a huge fan of the "t" execution, not sure I'm on board with replacing it with a "+" and having it be readable.
Otherwise I enjoy the mark and especially the application. It is a clever solution, even if not executed in a way I think works.
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:19 AM
carl’s comment is:
love it
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:26 AM
Craig’s comment is:
What is sad is the fact that the Construction has stopped, The Basement isn't coming back and all the improvements are on hold since Vornado and Gale were supposed to pay for a lot of them. $250,000.00 for a re-branding strategy was a lot of money to spend for there to be no real improvements other than a "wrapped" construction site and a big hole in the ground. Being a kiosk owner in the middle of it all my hope is that they modify the plans to do more now in the middle of these tough economic times. New kiosks, year round entertainment, free parking and getting the property owners to make rents more affordable so the empty stores could be filled would go a long way toward helping this area that desperately needs it. I understand the need to be positive but you can't put lipstick on a hole the ground and keep calling it the Grand Canyon. (Thanks Ms. Palin) Know what I mean??
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:26 AM
Jan T’s comment is:
Wow nice stuff all the way round - love the down and town as one word - even if its a bit of a hard read at first, the aha makes it worth it.
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:34 AM
JustinGodzilla’s comment is:
Craig - this is not about YOUR current situation. Stick to the branding... which is pretty good.
If we talked about failed projects with great logos we'd be here all year.
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:37 AM
Joe Moran’s comment is:
Tha+ kicks ass!
VR/
On Nov.17.2008 at 10:45 AM
Jeff’s comment is:
I welcome Craig's comments. I like to know the back story behind a branding, if only for the reason if I ever go to Boston, and come to this place and don;t see this branding, I'll wonder why it didn't catch on. Now I'll have a better understanding..
On Nov.17.2008 at 11:08 AM
Emily’s comment is:
I live in Boston and have noticed the murals with the "meet" phrases ("rare literature meet brattle bookstore", etc). To me they look amateurish and weak. Nothing is cohesive, the colors are all over the place, from pastels to primaries and while the DowntownCrossing logo is a bold and sans serif, the text on the murals is an awkward all-caps serif. Just scroll up through this post and try to count all the colors and type-treatments. ACK! The patterned background of the murals also seems out of place, too subtle for something that people won't be looking at from very close-up.
The murals with the portrait photos is much more successful I think, actually working with the logo design. Overall though, it seems like they didn't edit themselves well enough.
On Nov.17.2008 at 11:42 AM
Jef Nickerson’s comment is:
I like the look of the logo, but when I was in Downtown Crossing last week, the +own completely escaped me. I was wondering when they started calling it Down Crossing, and why. Maybe if the + were a lower case t with a little foot on it rather than a straight up plus it would have read better as town.
I read the + as meaning crossing and was confused as to why they had that and the word Crossing as well.
On Nov.17.2008 at 11:42 AM
Ryan’s comment is:
wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one that totally didn't see the word 'town'. i think it's a fail. if you're going to be clever with the average person you have to be clever on their level.
I had the same reaction as some other people, I was wondering why they had a cross and the word crossing, a little too 'see and say' and then I read that it's supposed to be '+own'.....hm....
On Nov.17.2008 at 12:01 PM
Adam’s comment is:
Just to clarify, the typeface used throughout the Downtown Crossing materials is a family called Leitura, by DSType Foundry. The family contains serif, sans-serif, and headline versions with multiple weights.
On Nov.17.2008 at 01:49 PM
exigent’s comment is:
"Town" is more or less not seen right away until told so. The "t" is the only lower-case letter within the logo and because of that, we see it as a + instead of what they were hoping to infer.
A failure for those who don't know better (which is most of us). I applaud the effort. The execution overall is lacking.
On Nov.17.2008 at 02:06 PM
Karen’s comment is:
The mark is great. As a former Boston resident, I want to point out that this is an established zone - people have been referring to this area of Boston as Downtown Crossing for ages. That helps with making the connection. I think if you know the city even a little, you can't NOT see the "+own" and get the crossing reference. Anyway, what's wrong with a little visual play?
On Nov.17.2008 at 02:28 PM
Jessica’s comment is:
I don't know what bothers me more...That the logo is weak or that they had a philadelphia based design house make this when there are a TON of great design agencies right in Boston.
Not the best way of supporting the local economy is it?
On Nov.17.2008 at 03:33 PM
Chris Rugen’s comment is:
@ JustinGodzilla
I disagree. I think the reality surrounding the branding is crucial to assessing it beyond the level of "is it pretty?" And from what I hear from Boston natives, this branding and campaign are an attempt to draw attention to an area that has more problems than a simple lack of attention paid. The branding may end up failing if Boston residents' perceptions of DC as an unpleasant/uninteresting place outweigh the branding/PR message's persuasions and claims to the contrary..
On Nov.17.2008 at 03:57 PM
Jonathan’s comment is:
A good reason to use a lowercase "t" instead of uppercase...
+ = 2 paths crossing
Joel’s comment is:
I, for one, only saw the town before I saw it from a little farther away. I think they should have shown it to random people without explaining the concept before they went live with it. Either that or hire a guy to stand next to it with a megaphone all day and explain how great the idea is.
On Nov.17.2008 at 05:04 PM
adzski’s comment is:
I read this as Down + Own Crossing.
Probably not an issue for those in the area who know it as Downtown Crossing, but I think the + is just trying a bit too hard to be clever.
On Nov.17.2008 at 05:26 PM
Freed’s comment is:
keep in mind Bostonians prolly already know the "town" part.
On Nov.17.2008 at 05:26 PM
Jose Nieto’s comment is:
Not the best way of supporting the local economy is it?
Amen! I can only imagine what someone like Adam Larson would have done with this brief.
On Nov.17.2008 at 05:45 PM
Adam’s comment is:
For those who are interested in learning more about the entire rejuvenation of Boston's Downtown Crossing neighborhood, a summary of the project was placed on-line. It outlines some of the key recommendations made by all the teams, Urban Design, Retail & Economic Development, as well as the Marketing Team. Check it out here:
On Nov.17.2008 at 05:49 PM
Stuart’s comment is:
@craig,
"...a big hole in the ground."
You should know Craig, this is what Boston is famous for. Forget the silly little tea accident or the bloody fighting, we're excellent at making huge fricking holes in the ground and pouring tons of money into them.
Also, why go all the way to Philadelphia to find a design firm? Did they honestly have trouble finding a good design firm in Boston?
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:01 PM
Sam’s comment is:
sorry, kept reading it as Down crossing.
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:28 PM
Jef Nickerson’s comment is:
I don't know Karen, I lived in Boston for 8 years and spent a lot of mornings and afternoons changing trains at Downtown Crossing, and I thought they had for some inexplicable reason rebranded it to "Down Crossing."
Also, natives aside, Downtown Crossing should be a tourist destination, and if they arrive and find a sign they think says "Down Crossing," they may for a minute be confused.
Downtown Crossing has been on life support for decades, and it is good to see an attempt to rejuvenate it. It is unfortunate that One Franklin has stalled. I saw lots of empty storefronts on Winter and the Barnes & Noble being gone right across form the One Franklin hole is terrible. They're gonna have to make a lot of DOWN+OWN CROSSING wraps.
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:33 PM
Mark’s comment is:
Awesome logo, very clever, so much that I had to took at it a few more times in order to actually "get" it. Don't worry, once you understand the logo it's easier to read it. Very similar to the Boston Redevelopment Authority logo, at first it looks abstract but closer inspection reveals letters. I like this type of stuff makes the logo more interesting.
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:37 PM
Paul Riehle’s comment is:
The logo is a mess, I only see down crossing, the t looks like a + so even if you try to figure it out in some way you only get "plus own crossing" with a hidden D, which makes just as much sense as down crossing (which is very little) Then if I try to figure out why the d is there I get DOWN + Own Crossing, the t/+ totally ruins this logo.
I have a feeling someone was sketching and it looked useable on paper but once it hit the computer screen it was not, yet they still used it. Execution is just as important as concept, some might argue even more so.
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:40 PM
g-sppud’s comment is:
Cool idea, but as others have noted it is a little problematic in the execution.
At first glance, I thought it was a logo for one of those hip and trendy new "jesus rocks" churches. I guess the + and "cross"ing were the first things to hit the brainwaves.
On Nov.17.2008 at 06:47 PM
Anonymous’s comment is:
Times New Roman used over the meet button?
hmmm, i don't think so. but i could be wrong.
On Nov.17.2008 at 07:38 PM
T-Bone’s comment is:
^ whoops, that was me.
cool idea – didn't get it until i read the explanation though. maybe they could've just used a 'T' instead of the cross? but it is a crossing i guess…
On Nov.17.2008 at 07:41 PM
Barclay D.’s comment is:
i walk around this area a few times a week, and knowing the area has been seen as a violent area, and with stores closing left and right, it is a great start in cleaning and up the area, along with the new apartments.
there is small things I would change, but overall, great thinking, and great work.
On Nov.17.2008 at 07:47 PM
Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:
The readability of "TOWN" (or lack thereof) kills a very interesting idea.
The real star, as Armin pointed out, is that Boston Redevelopment Authority logo. What a gem!
On Nov.17.2008 at 08:29 PM
Dale Campbell’s comment is:
Also, why go all the way to Philadelphia to find a design firm? Did they honestly have trouble finding a good design firm in Boston?
I wonder this so often to myself. Seeing or reading that someone else has this concern makes me feel a little better.
I have always wondered why, if a city in particular is looking to re-brand, why they wouldn't tap the resources (that might even) live nearby and live, feel, smell, love and hate the local economy and environment.
Has anyone else ever wondered this and had an explanation brought to them, or is this simply a scenario where a city selects a design firm from another city to do work?
Keep well everyone,
Dale
tommy v’s comment is:
i, too, thought that it said "down crossing" at first. but i'd imagine anyone familiar with the area would get it pretty quickly. not everything has to be so obvious at first sight.
On Nov.18.2008 at 07:19 AM
Bendy’s comment is:
I really like the simple "MEET" button and the creative... but I'm not digging the logo one bit.
As designers, most of us probably punched out a logo like this early in our careers - it looks under-developed to me. While the concept is fun and playful, something just seems very amateur about the execution, especially considering how punchy the rest of the creative is.
On Nov.18.2008 at 11:23 AM
blue’s comment is:
I thought that the cross in the "D" was related to the "crossing". Then I thought that maybe it was something to do with the church.
It never crossed my mind that it was a "t".
On Nov.18.2008 at 12:47 PM
Jerry Kuyper’s comment is:
Boston - Philadelphia
The most discussed version of this age old issue was when Landor SF designed the Olympic identity for the 1996 games in Atlanta.
Why don't we all agree right now we will never do work more than 25 miles from our offices.
Right.
On Nov.18.2008 at 02:19 PM
Dale Campbell’s comment is:
Boston - Philadelphia. The most discussed version of this age old issue was when Landor SF designed the Olympic identity for the 1996 games in Atlanta. Why don't we all agree right now we will never do work more than 25 miles from our offices.
Right.
Jerry, no need to be a d-bag.
I was just asking a question.
On Nov.18.2008 at 09:11 PM
Josh’s comment is:
You can't really copyright it as such, but this branding effort where X MEETS Y, is taken directly from the Walker Art Center's campaign when the new building was opened.
Though I like the Downtown identity, the execution of the sub branding elements is a little weak. I think its just that serif face that just crashes the entire thing.
On Nov.18.2008 at 09:39 PM
Jerry Kuyper’s comment is:
Dale,
No need to take my comment personally - Jessica, Jose and Stuart posed earlier comments similar to yours. And I did try to answer your question with my reference to Atlanta.
A quote that seems relevant to me "No one knows who discovered water, but we know it wasn't a fish." For a client or designer, I think having a fresh outsider's perspective might be more valuable than being immersed in a situation.
I want to get people to think about the implications of suggesting that a client (civic or corporate) be bound to support local designers. Would you be comfortable reading only local papers, watching local television and drinking local coffee?
If Thomas Friedman is right and the world is flat, we better get used to competition from outside the neighborhood.
Full disclosure: I work in CT and have clients in Philadelphia.
On Nov.18.2008 at 10:41 PM
Jose Nieto’s comment is:
Jerry, you're kind of missing the point. I wasn't arguing for parochialism in design -- heck, I'm in Salem, MA and I have clients in New York City. And I certainly don't begrudge 160over90 's initiative in seeking clients outside of Philly. My issue is with the BRA, a tax-funded organization created specifically to promote Boston economic development: they should have been consistent to their mission and brought a local firm for this project.
I do agree that outside firms can bring a fresh perspective, and I take your Atlanta Games example as a serious counterargument. Your point would be stronger, however, if 160over90's solution didn't feel so generic (it looks like something from American Eagle Outfitters, which happen to be one of firm's big clients). It's likely the case that the BRA pushed them in this bland direction, in which case any firm (be it from Boston or not) would have produced similar results. If this is all 160over90's work, then I can think of at least 10 Boston firms that would have done a much better job with this brief. Either way, why not use the local talent and foster our creative economy?
On Nov.19.2008 at 01:42 AM
Jose Nieto’s comment is:
By the way, Jerry, I didn't think you were being a "d-bag."
On Nov.19.2008 at 01:45 AM
Craig’s comment is:
What is the next step in the rebranding strategy exactly and when will it take place? Also is anyone measuring the success or failure of the entire rebranding? What effect then will the failed Filene's building project have on the rebranding and who exactly is the target market? (don't say everyone because that is so not true.)
On Nov.20.2008 at 11:43 AM
Mongoose’s comment is:
I like it. The 'town' does take a second for me, and I think most people will go 'Down, and Own.. oh! Downtown." in a just about similar recognition pattern. Nicely done.
Of course, the opportunity to have the 'T' in 'MEET' not be a cross as well is wasted. Tsk!
Quite pleasantly done, not audacious nor trendy. A-.
On Nov.20.2008 at 11:06 PM
Bruce’s comment is:
Sorry, but I read "Cross Dressing" when I see that mark. And no, I don't.
On Nov.21.2008 at 04:07 PM
Maya’s comment is:
no thanks. I lived in Boston for 15 years and I take issue with the fact that a Philadelphia firm was hired for this identity. There are some pretty world-class agencies in Boston. They know the product first hand as well. This looks more like an emergency response (red cross?) logo to me. Entirely not what I would expect for a vibrant work/shopping area in a wonderful city...
I don't get it.
On Nov.23.2008 at 11:56 AM
Craig’s comment is:
so how will any of this bring spenders into our businesses from the suburbs?
On Nov.23.2008 at 01:15 PM
Bipin Mishra’s comment is:
What is sad is the fact that the Construction has stopped, The Basement isn't coming back and all the improvements are on hold since Vornado and Gale were supposed to pay for a lot of them. $250,000.00 for a re-branding strategy was a lot of money to spend for there to be no real improvements other than a "wrapped" construction site and a big hole in the ground. Being a kiosk owner in the middle of it all my hope is that they modify the plans to do more now in the middle of these tough economic times. New kiosks, year round entertainment, free parking and getting the property owners to make rents more affordable so the empty stores could be filled would go a long way toward helping this area that desperately needs it. I understand the need to be positive but you can't put lipstick on a hole the ground and keep calling it the Grand Canyon. (Thanks Ms. Palin) Know what I mean??
On Dec.13.2008 at 04:39 PM
Lisa’s comment is:
@stuart, I completely agree. Why hire a Philly design firm for a Boston city project? Seems to defy logic to me.
On Dec.24.2008 at 05:39 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
