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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.
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Yeison Agudelo’s comment is:
ummm i like it nothing new or inovative but it works
On Jun.24.2008 at 10:20 PM
Alex’s comment is:
I like it, a nice bit of complexity that still seems minimal. I also see DNA. And, uh, it's a good thing they didn't stick anything in the center of it....I'm just saying...
On Jun.24.2008 at 10:21 PM
mongoose’s comment is:
I give it an A. It's crisp, it's clean, female without being girly, it's reminiscent of pink ribbons, and the notion of a nonagon as its base is glorious. Nonagon! There aren't enough nonagons.
On Jun.25.2008 at 01:48 AM
Unit B’s comment is:
Very simple, crisp. But look carefully: it's one ribbon, not two. I think they really hit the mark well.
On Jun.25.2008 at 02:41 AM
Paul Lloyd Johnson’s comment is:
The logo is nice, I just wish all these companies would unite to fight cancer as a whole, rather than working against each other.
On Jun.25.2008 at 04:08 AM
Paul Lloyd Johnson’s comment is:
Oh I said company, but I meant charity, although, perhaps that's what they really are.
On Jun.25.2008 at 04:09 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
The mark is a thing of beauty. Well crafted and elegant.
I've always found "Optima" a bit malignant myself. But I have to admit it looks pretty nice in this context.
Well done.
On Jun.25.2008 at 04:39 AM
Ronan’s comment is:
Sorry, but it has to be said - It's a bit like a funeral wreath.
It is, however, a lovely, superlatively crafted image. I'm just not sure it conveys concisely the correct message.
I notice that it is one strand that intertwines and not two, which would be so much easier to draw.
On Jun.25.2008 at 04:49 AM
Armin’s comment is:
> I notice that it is one strand that intertwines and not two, which would be so much easier to draw.
Ronan, yeah, you are right. Corrected.
On Jun.25.2008 at 08:35 AM
Daniel Campos’s comment is:
Beautiful logo! Amazing!
On Jun.25.2008 at 08:35 AM
Daniel Campos’s comment is:
wooow, the old "logo" is horrible!! Jesus Christ!
On Jun.25.2008 at 08:40 AM
felix sockwell’s comment is:
love this new mark. And Optima here actually doesn't look as terrible as it normally does. Big ups to S+G for seeing the craft (execution) end of this through to its full potential. Beautiful job.
On Jun.25.2008 at 09:09 AM
Able Parris’s comment is:
Great logo! But the favicon needs help.
On Jun.25.2008 at 09:22 AM
Bart O'Dell’s comment is:
Such beautiful execution and the color palette on the site and the logo is amazing. Very nice! Well done S&G!
On Jun.25.2008 at 09:37 AM
What’s comment is:
The site isn't very good, but I have no complaints about the logo.
On Jun.25.2008 at 10:08 AM
Jeff’s comment is:
What a pretty ribbon! And great contrast between the wordmark and the symbol. And while I think the colors look nice on the Web site, I think this is stronger on white.
On Jun.25.2008 at 10:09 AM
Matthew Brett’s comment is:
I noticed the DNA strand immediately. Rather than a funeral wreath as one reviewer inferred, I see a crown or victory laurel.
Unfortunately, I have a personal history with breast cancer in my family, having lost 3 aunts to it, and had 3 cousins and 2 sisters survive it. For those of us who have the BRCA1 gene (genetic predisposition for breast cancer) dealing with the threat of this disease is a fact of life, whether you are male or female. This mark does an excellent job of addressing the medical underpinnings of the disease without neglecting the human touch.
Unlike Armin, I've never been a fan of Optima, but it is well-suited to this application (although the all upper-case does nothing to help the mark). Overall, very strong work.
On Jun.25.2008 at 10:48 AM
ScottS’s comment is:
I agree with you Matt B, the all caps Optima is visually loud. And when viewed as a whole on the home page it looks disjointed, like an afterthought. For such an elegant logomark I'd prefer a correspondingly elegant [serif] typeface, and perhaps not in white.
Kudos to S+G on a job well done, I love the mark. Nice balance and shading. I appreciate the thought and planning that clearly went into making this design work on several levels. The DNA/ribbon fusion is what makes this especially ingenius to me.
On Jun.25.2008 at 11:03 AM
Leslie’s comment is:
I like the mark, and I'm also happy to see Optima used so appropriately -- I never thought it deserved the bad rap it gets. However, the kerning on the word mark is pretty poor, especially between the B and R and the R and E of breast and the N and C of cancer. It's really detracting from the logo for me.
On Jun.25.2008 at 11:20 AM
Adam Western’s comment is:
RE: Daniel Campos
Maybe we could avoid the offensive language.
Mr Posen’s comment is:
Reminds me of the GSUS logo, which reminds me of the Last Temptation poster.
Mr Posen’s comment is:
Armin said: "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."
Armin, how is this "fresh, or new"?
My interpretation is that is just another looping ribbon logo as shown in Logo Trends 2008 on logolounge.com.
I think you are being a little too generous with your compliments.
On Jun.25.2008 at 12:18 PM
Armin’s comment is:
Mr. Posen, it is fresh and new in the context of breast cancer related logos and imagery where most everything ends up being the pink ribbon in a loop or a brief departure from that. If we judge this logo in the context of every single logo in the world, sure, it's not that fresh nor new. It's all about context, and in this case it deserves my compliments — and we all know that I am never too generous with them!
On Jun.25.2008 at 12:25 PM
Mr Posen’s comment is:
"where most everything ends up being the pink ribbon in a loop or a brief departure from that."
But the logo is a pink ribbon in a loop?
Sorry, it's early, am I missing something here?
Armin’s comment is:
Try this Google image search "breast cancer logo," you'll see what I mean.
On Jun.25.2008 at 12:37 PM
Mr Posen’s comment is:
Ok, I think I understand.
Your point is that the 'Breastcancer.org' logo is a fresh idea, because the pink ribbon forms a circle, while other pink ribbons do not.
On Jun.25.2008 at 12:46 PM
Armin’s comment is:
Si.
On Jun.25.2008 at 12:53 PM
justen’s comment is:
Visually, the shading bothers me. It has depth in the top left section, but becomes flat towards the bottom right (in the section that seems to be closer) which should show more detail. I think the shading should be switched around. Other than that, extremely well crafted.
On Jun.25.2008 at 01:27 PM
nick’s comment is:
i have to admit, on first glance i immediately saw crown of thorns...sans thorns of course. overall though, the mark is a nice solution to the "ribbon with one loop" idea.
however, is there any reasoning for the number of overlaps they used for the ribbon? could it have been simplified a little more and maybe intersected half as many times? maybe this would become to amorphous.
lastly, leslie made a good point above. bad kearning!
On Jun.25.2008 at 01:37 PM
Chad K’s comment is:
I like the old one better. Haha
On Jun.25.2008 at 01:38 PM
Chad K’s comment is:
I must say that the logo looks a hell of a lot better on white than on the blue in their website
On Jun.25.2008 at 01:39 PM
BobSchro’s comment is:
How can someone (or anyone for that matter) see a crown of thorns without the thorns? It makes no sense at all... It's those kind of comments that make me wonder why you bother to comment at all.
On Jun.25.2008 at 03:31 PM
nick’s comment is:
the crown visualization was triggered by the interweaving lines in a circular pattern. i dont think thats too "out there." and i dont think thorns are required to make that association.
additionally, its comments like yours (which contain no reference whatsoever to the subject at hand: the logo) that make me wonder what it is youre commenting for? lets stay on topic, hm?
On Jun.25.2008 at 03:37 PM
JonSel’s comment is:
I think associations are all a matter of perspective. One person's wreath is another's crown. Neither are necessarily right or wrong, just dependent on the viewer's personal experiences.
I think it's a cool mark. The single ribbon intertwining is what makes it intriguing. I also think Optima works best when set all caps. Classic.
On Jun.25.2008 at 05:23 PM
BobSchro’s comment is:
The symbol is continuous. If you trace your finger along it, it goes on and on not unlike a mobius. It’s interwoven characteristic suggests strength, partnership, and a strong bond.
Therefore the “unity circle” or "circle of trust" represents the strength, relationships, and continuity that is inherent in the information and the support breastcancer.org provides.
On Jun.25.2008 at 05:31 PM
PP’s comment is:
I also see a wreath, but it looks like a simplified version of a crown of thorns - similar to those depicted in garments of congregations in holy week processions. Plus, the pink it's very close to purple, a color usually related with royalty and luxury, but also deeply connected with religion and death.
On Jun.25.2008 at 08:04 PM
damon’s comment is:
I like the icon ok. Beyond wreaths and crowns, I think of a mobius ring or an ongoing connected loop that ties us all together.
not sure how you guys are seeing ONE line though, I can only see two threads interlaced....fucked.
On Jun.25.2008 at 10:11 PM
Prescott Perez-Fox’s comment is:
This is sharp, well done. My only odd reaction is that the ".org" looks huge in comparison to the rest of the type, especially compared to the "bre" at the start. Is that just an optical illusion?
And I dunno about using this logo against a blue background as they've done on the website:
And I hate to say it, but doesn't the circularity of this mark remind anyone of breasts? My brain does strange things.
On Jun.25.2008 at 11:24 PM
Jose Roseva’s comment is:
It is such a complex image to be considered a logo, it is too illustrative, too many elements, too many color subtleties, I bet it will be considered old in a couple of years. It shows the main failures in contemporary logo design, digital technology allows designers to come up with seductive color compositions that captures the taste for beauty of the clients but at the same time blurs the quality of execution, simplicity, boldness and clarity of good identity design.
On Jun.26.2008 at 12:08 AM
Wünderwoman’s comment is:
Very nice. Definitely an improvement over the old one. LOL :)
On Jun.26.2008 at 02:28 AM
damon’s comment is:
and there should have been a white only knock out version to go on the blue background.
On Jun.26.2008 at 10:14 AM
Glenn ’s comment is:
Well done!
On Jun.26.2008 at 01:18 PM
ZedZedEye’s comment is:
Concept, concept, and more concept. Nice to see a logo packed with a lot of meanings, it lets everyone see something that is meaningful to them. But it is not busy or overwhelming, well done!
On Jun.26.2008 at 08:45 PM
Stacy’s comment is:
I too can only see two ribbons interlaced, not one continuous ribbon as others have pointed out.
On Jun.27.2008 at 09:53 AM
Char’s comment is:
Ahhh!!!, the old logo!!!.... my eyes are burning!!!
Great new logo. Its concept is very intuitive, like the concept of a good logo should be.
On Jun.27.2008 at 11:26 AM
Frank’s comment is:
Hmm.
I always thought that when it comes to the question if a logo is a good or even great logo or not one key aspect would be wether or not the logo is UNIQUE and furthermore, if the icon can stand on its own.
Might be that amongst all the other breast cancer logos this one stands out simply because it doesn't use the usual ribbon but does that automatically make it a great logo ? I think not.
Like, take away the typography so that the symbol stands on its own - would you really know what it stands for or which entity it belongs to?
I bet there are quite a number of logos out there with the exact same icon just from different (probably not cancer related) entities; which to me means a chance has been missed to create a true unique logo that not only sets itself apart from other cancer related organisations but can truly stand on its own.
On Jun.30.2008 at 07:30 AM
Ash’s comment is:
BLAH.
And I hate Optima.
On Jun.30.2008 at 09:47 PM
David’s comment is:
aereola-ific!
On Jul.01.2008 at 03:48 PM
Davekos’s comment is:
Nice Optima! It actually stands out among other round logos. less is always more, isn't it?
On Jul.02.2008 at 12:33 PM
Gentleman Agitator’s comment is:
One of the best I have seen in quite awhile. And what a refreshing change from the ubiquitous car sticker ribbon for every cause under the sun! I am sick of that thing.
On Jul.11.2008 at 11:06 AM
FIELD_NICKNAME_alliletoget’s comment is:
http://www.FIELD_MESSAGE_aldroncnas.com/
On Dec.23.2008 at 06:08 PM
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