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Guest Editorial by Joe Marianek
Earlier this month, Landor Associates announced a new name, strategy and identity for The Paley Center for Media; formerly the Museum of Television and Radio, with branches in Los Angeles and New York. The Paley Center for Media offers a curated collection of privately-donated media, holds panel discussions, and screenings in its theaters. The Paley Center doesn’t feature physical Smithsonian-type artifacts like vacum tubes, Alf’s carcass, or a comprehensive collection of everything ever broadcast on television and radio. What it does offer is a curated collection of 140,000 programs that one can access.
William S. Paley founded the MT&R, and also another center for media, CBS. With his purchase of 16 affiliated radio stations in the Chicago area, Paley grew a disparate radio-network into a communications powerhouse within months and coined it the Columbia Broadcasting System. During WWII, Paley served in the Psychological Warfare branch of the Office of War Information, where ammo was infotainment. Back home, Paley saw an opportunity to revolutionize broadcasting’s business model by valuing advertisers at the forefront of the communications relationship. Thereby, he brought CBS to the top of the big three in America for… television and radio.
The institution’s prior goals are best explained with Paley’s founding vision… “to make sure that programming was being preserved—in order to preserve our own cultural history—and to let this collection be accessible to the general public walking in off the street.”
Landor’s new strategy with regard to the Center’s role in media is an aggressive departure:
“As the media landscape continues to change to include new platforms and modes of distribution, The Paley Center for Media seeks to expand its role as a thought leader and forum for media. The Paley Center for Media offers members and non-members a place where media luminaries, industry leaders and cultural influencers convene to examine the cultural, creative and social significance of all media.”
The organization has moved away from positioning itself as collections-based institution, so dropping the “Museum” descriptor was probably intended to manage the expectations of TV-buff tourists with fanny packs off the street. The new name “Paley Center for Media” does not suggest repository of entertaining/enlightening broadcast artifacts; but rather a more ethereal destination and purpose.
If it’s not a museum then what is it? Center for Media is open to interpretation varying from a room with a computer in a middle school to a State Department of Censorship, or (hopefully) an intriguing destination that offers rich content. It is unclear which this is. In Landor’s brand statment above, Media could be interchangable with Pacifiers, Paint, or if you dare, Propoganda.
Best Buy is a Center for Media. YouTube is a Center for Media, the Apple Store is a Center for Media, Pearl Art Supply is a Center for Media, and so is the Public Library. This Center for Media takes on a media advocacy point-of-view which differentiates it from those consumer brands. On the Paley website and surrounding press-releases, the word Media is given presence as a proper noun to the level of an individual with indelible human rights. This is perhaps because the Museum has more accurately identified itself as a public-facing hub for professionals and “luminaries” that effect the industry. Transparently Orwellian language on the Paley Center website offers invitation-only membership to the (sub-brand) Paley Media Council for “key decision-makers in media companies.”
The ominous positioning strategy has a clarifying and inebriating culmination in the peppy visual identity created by Joshua Levi at Landor.
Projected logo + media luminaries + free cocktails = instant dance party.
Landor’s press release tells us what we see:
“The Paley Center for Media’s visual identity consists of the name spelled out in two concentric circles, emphasizing The Paley Center’s dedication to focusing on media and its ever-changing role in society. The circles suggest a camera lens coming into focus, a direct reference to the organization’s view of media as a lens to better understand culture and society.”
The logo is set in Clearview and is a nimble and energetic departure from its grumpy tuxedo-clad parent. The sugar-sweet visual system of gradients is overwhelming, but employed as necessary counterpoint to the stark logo. A lens-like widget is more apparent when you see the beginning of this animation. It is, however, presumptuous to assume that this logo transmits the strategy “lens for media” without a written explanation. More apparent are references to a civic seal or a sewer-cover. The arrangement of type functions like a stamp of authority, protection, or endorsement on Paley collateral. The logo is read as a mumbled texture and the messaging plays the primary role on the communications
Part of CBS’s sucess was to due to the talent that Paley enabled to build the elegantly executed CBS identity over the years. Paley’s right hand aesthete, President Frank Stanton assembled the visual accumen of William Golden, Herb Lubalin and Lou Dorfsman to build the CBS identity through design and advertising which would elevate the value of CBS, and ultimately graphic design. One wonders what would happen if the Paley Center lens were applied over its elder relative, the CBS eye.
If you’re indoctrinated in a media-trance , you’ll think the name repeats itself twice (for bicoastal locations in NY and LA.) If not, you might thank the logo for doing you a favor so that you don’t have to break your neck to read it. Over time, the Paley Center will probably put its lens over a lot of media, and the Paley logo will build awareness through repetition. Either way, for now, we can all agree that this logo really turns heads.
Joe Marianek is a graphic designer living in New York City.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Splashman’s comment is:
Interesting. No question that the old logo was way too stodgy for a new-media "museum." However, this is a perfect example of a logo that works better animated than static. I don't hate the static logo, but I'm not thrilled about the legibility problem inherent to all circular type arrangements. And with this one, "center for media" covers roughly 220 degrees of the circle, which, as Joe mentioned, really turns heads.
Note also that there's a lot of "noise" in this logo -- extra stuff that can safely be ignored -- but my own first reaction was to try to read the whole thing (I didn't know it was noise until I read it all). Once I realized it was duplicated, there was a tinge of annoyance for having to work so hard for no good reason.
Perhaps I'm a dinosaur, but even if the primary usage of a logo was going to be on video, I'd still start by designing a logo that "works" in a static form. Nothing wrong with keeping animation in mind during the design process, of course.
On Jun.23.2007 at 08:50 PM
Terry!’s comment is:
Splashman said: "Once I realized it was duplicated, there was a tinge of annoyance for having to work so hard for no good reason."
Ha.. once you said that I relised that I had just experienced a similar reaction. That tinge.
As for whether the camera lens metaphor is readable, I picked up on it at first contemplation. The animated version of the identity definately helps to the read that way.
On Jun.23.2007 at 10:58 PM
Gavan Michael’s comment is:
No legibility problems here, just readability problems.
Having said that I can see how they've gone about minimising that problem, but in my reckoning these measures haven't gone far enough. The contrast between the thin and the heavier letterforms is not enough. And whilst I'm sure they agonised over it for a great many man hours, it's a fairly dubious relative angle to start "Centre for media" on the inside circumference??
On Jun.23.2007 at 11:03 PM
stock_illustration’s comment is:
Splashman is so right on about the annoyance...I read and reread the outside and inside and just felt like I wanted my time back...annoyed. I agree with Gavin Michael about the line weights as well. The crits so far are spot on IMO...even the manhole cover comparison.
On Jun.23.2007 at 11:23 PM
Mark’s comment is:
ECHHH...
Horrible name, horrible logo.
The readability is terrible and it's hardly enjoyable to look at.
I could made that logo in Powerpoint!!!!!
It looks like a ripoff of Martha Stewart's logo.
The word "media" is way overused these days and having that word in their gets to be redundant.
May I ask what is happening to the archived film reels since their change in image?
It's just a big,big mess.
On Jun.24.2007 at 12:05 AM
humanot’s comment is:
I feel like some of this 'tinge' that everyones mentioning (and I think we're gonna find as a pretty common occurance), could have been avoided with some simple twisting.
For a project dealing not only with the common rules of design and communication, but also with an aggressive renaming campaign, you would think you'd want to design the mark to follow the typical reading pattern of the eyes.
I think this helped to eliminate the redundant reading, as you are made aware a bit quicker that its a repeat performance on the other side.
On Jun.24.2007 at 12:19 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
Mark’s comment is:
humanot: Yes that looks much more readible.better suggestion.
Von, very funny!!!, no doubt gerbils would indeed love that logo since it would remind them of their beloved exercise wheeels.
LOL you just have too much time on your hands!!! :)
ROLMAFO Sh*t can't keep a straight face when I type this!!!
Really looks kind of silly in motion.
On Jun.24.2007 at 02:31 AM
Armin’s comment is:
It's been a while since I say this about an identity designed by Landor – I can hear people's eyes rolling back all the way from Park Avenue South – but I really like this. Most "circle" logos suffer from being too hollow in the center, making them weakish, but this one feels the space nicely by repeating the name, which I, surprisingly, don't find annoying as it does help offset the neck-turning problem. As Humanot points out, the differentiation could have been a little more radical, but I think it still works. It has a sense of dynamism that "Media" entails, and the repetition (in different weights) sort of reflects how the same media comes to us from different angles. Heck, I even like the gradients they have going on. Dare I say it… Well done.
**
As a side note, and I apologize for being the crank here, we discourage the use of "LOLs" and "OMGs" and other abbreviations reserved for TXT MSGs in this blog. Unless used ironically or sarcastically.
On Jun.24.2007 at 09:30 AM
Frank’s comment is:
What a crap name.
The logo is crap as well.
But what annoys me most is the interpreting brand speech that comes with.How does spelling out a name in two concentric circles emphasize a "dedication to focus on media and its ever-changing role in society" ?!
Puleeeeaze.
These kind of accompanying explanations and over the top glorifiying-the-emperors-new-clothes seems to be the latest fashion with the big agencies lately - see the London 2012 desaster etc.
To me it just tells me the agency had a weak idea but tries to hype it as pure gold.
Sorry but a weak idea is still just a weak idea.
On Jun.24.2007 at 10:11 AM
Frank’s comment is:
I believe replacing "brand speech" with "brand speak" makes even more sense in my above rant ?
No native speaker here so that's why. :)
On Jun.24.2007 at 10:21 AM
Anonymous’s comment is:
Sorry I did not realize that, is this better?
Von, very funny!!!, no doubt gerbils would indeed love that logo since it would remind them of their beloved exercise wheels.
hahaha you just have too much time on your hands!!! :)
hehe, Sh*t can't keep a straight face when I type this!!!
Really looks kind of silly in motion.
(the text messages thing is a dumb habit I have since I'm used to it so much.)
But lets get back to the point, I don't think the name elaborates much exactly what their purpose is I mean when I hear "media" I think of all radio,television,computers,and music, I mean all mediums of communication.
It's a bit too general for me.
On Jun.24.2007 at 04:27 PM
Mark’s comment is:
The above post was by me^^^^^
On Jun.24.2007 at 04:30 PM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
Mark, from this artical it would seem they are indeed turning their focus towards media in general (radio, tv, internet, & "emerging forms") as opposed to only television and radio.
On Jun.24.2007 at 05:05 PM
Joe’s comment is:
The layers of subtle references to tools of media
(speakers, cameras, lenses, reels, records, tapes,
cds, dvds, the sun) are a joyful payoff if people work to get it
It doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator—
it actually engages and asks "what am I, what am I?"
JBIII’s comment is:
II,,Dont Dont Know Know How How I I Feel Feel About About This This Treatment Treatment..
Von, does that Hamster/Gerbil think it is a wheel to run on or a part of Richard Gere's anatomy to explore?
On Jun.25.2007 at 07:53 AM
C-LO’s comment is:
I am literally watching this logo go down the toilet. BA-WOOSH!!!!
On Jun.25.2007 at 08:19 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Joe said: The layers of subtle references to tools of media
(speakers, cameras, lenses, reels, records, tapes,
cds, dvds, the sun) are a joyful payoff if people work to get it
Should people have to WORK to get it, though? It's just not easy on the eyes for me.
Some people are complaining about the name, but I don't think that matters. It's not our job to name things.
L.
On Jun.25.2007 at 10:28 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Joe said: The layers of subtle references to tools of media
(speakers, cameras, lenses, reels, records, tapes,
cds, dvds, the sun) are a joyful payoff if people work to get it
Should people have to WORK to get it, though? It's just not easy on the eyes for me.
Some people are complaining about the name, but I don't think that matters. It's not our job to name things.
L.
On Jun.25.2007 at 11:06 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Joe said: The layers of subtle references to tools of media
(speakers, cameras, lenses, reels, records, tapes,
cds, dvds, the sun) are a joyful payoff if people work to get it
Should people have to WORK to get it, though? It's just not easy on the eyes for me.
Some people are complaining about the name, but I don't think that matters. It's not our job to name things.
L.
On Jun.25.2007 at 01:00 PM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
I don't believe the idea of this mark is to be "slick."
As a wordmark, it also operates as a memorable symbol, and due to it's simplicity can be interpreted in a number of ways (as mentioned by joe). And being that the term "media" is so broad, the ambiguity of the meaning of the shape is justified. It's just, well, a memorable shape. Once seen, it doesn't have to be read again and again to know what it stands for.
It also seats "The Paley" as the most prominent statement. This would seem like it fit conventions of cultural institutions, (i.e. The Tate, The Guggenheim, The Frick; museums they may be)
On Jun.25.2007 at 11:14 PM
OMEN’s comment is:
I think that the memorability and originality of this mark far outweighs the legibility issues. Finally, a recently developed, unique and interesting mark. I love it.
On Jun.26.2007 at 09:39 AM
OMEN’s comment is:
PS. Plus, no gradients! I love it again.
On Jun.26.2007 at 09:41 AM
Frank’s comment is:
I really don't get what is so unique about type set in circles.Every other music/art festival poster logo is set in circles and it has been done a gazillion times.
Actually it's as non-unique as it can get.
On Jun.26.2007 at 10:44 AM
Stacy’s comment is:
Its not about a circle being original, its more about what it means & why its done. Like the Martha Stewart logo done by Doyle Partners, a good logo, thats a very different type of circle-given the choice of type, that the type changes direction-it has emotionally a very different impact. It ques down-home everything, from jam to shake & bake, plus a cleanliness and has utility.
What is original from many other cirle logos like music/art fesivals with this logo is that this dosen't seem to be done for convention or style. It has an reason to be, is clever, and having that said, it seems fun too.
On Jun.26.2007 at 12:30 PM
disgruntled designer’s comment is:
this "logo" makes me SICK. no really, it makes me feel like i want to throw up while trying to read it and i wasn't able to even read it all the way through. good job joe schmoe branding agency, you've lived up to the expectations.
On Jun.26.2007 at 08:52 PM
Bill T.’s comment is:
I recommend that future postings on "Brand New" have more informed writers.
The Paley Center is not some "Orwellian" organization, bent of skewing the media sphere, driving propaganda while pacifying the masses, as the writer of this editorial would have you believe. They have even less to do with CBS (who's history strangely takes up a good deal of this posting). The Paley's CEO is the ex-CEO of PBS...a PUBLIC station. Yes, The Board of Directors includes many CEO's & Leaders of major TV organizations (NBC, CBS, FOX, various cable networks), but also the likes of Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, & Henry Kissinger.
More than anything, this change is about bringing the organization up to date. Computers are here to stay, and their programing reaches more people in 5 minutes than most TV channels reach in a day. They have become a major force in "broadcast." The organization finally embraced this. They are now actually offering more content, to more people, in more ways than before. They are a more open an accessible organization than before. Programing from their archive, which they continue to collect, is being digitized and shared in more & different ways. They are also now sharing interviews they've conducted with various groups and individuals via the internet.
Probably three-quarters of this post is about the organization's supposed nefarious role or about CBS. If people want to talk about their ultra left-wing conspiracy theories, they shouldn't mask it as an academic design discussion.
On Jun.27.2007 at 04:50 PM
Joe’s comment is:
To address the Design Conspiracy of William Paley:
Part of CBS's success is a result the high level of design leadership initiated by the organization...and the man behind it who conspired to create good work that people liked.
According to the facts, William Paley was a trustee of MoMa; bought a few picassos for them, and had good middle-american common taste. Under his eye, the CBS brand became a quintessential example of identity and brand design.
Paley effectively enabled designers to create work that built the CBS brand for years; ranging from Golden's logo, to this amazing mural by Dorfsman and Lubalin, all the way down to custom CBS Didot numbers on napkins and wayfinding in the lobby of the headquarters at Black Rock, designed by Saarinen. To paraphrase the editors of Lou Dorfsman's book, "Good enough" was never murmered in the halls of CBS with regards to design.
Paley's legacy in media is partially a result of the standard for excellence in design that he and other established for the CBS brand.
There is no partisan argument to be had. There are good brands and bad brands, and frankly, a lot of muck in between. Forgive me for suggesting that the lens dropped from the eye.
On Jun.27.2007 at 07:35 PM
Art Modern’s comment is:
Brand-building involes more than "bringing organizations up to date" and the blessings of Barbara Walters.
Sometimes it takes an intelligible logo and name and purpose. None of which are demonstrated by this confusing and elusive rebrand. At least the logo doesn't have a hippie gradient.
I will speak for the aformentioned left-wing when I thank you for bringing us bloggers and designers up to date on the relevence of computers and potential danger of free speech.
On Jun.28.2007 at 01:08 AM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
First and foremost-
This is an editorial. Anyone can say anything they want.
Second and just as foremost-
Putting anything in a historical context is necessary to understand where it came from, and what it is, and where it is going. That's how historians, anthropologists, sociologists, etc. interpret occurrences. One can never be separated from their history. To disregard history in any analysis is a fatal error.
On Jun.28.2007 at 11:11 AM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
Third-
There is nothing "ultra left wing" about this posting. I don't read anything remotely close to a conspiracy theory either.
What I do read, from your comment Bill, is one who doesn't like what's written and exaggerates what's posted, simply to create distortion.
This article concisely presents many facts, many quotes, and many historical references, to pose questions, frame context, and develop meaning. Nothing this article is conjured. In fact, it seems the informed writer of this article did quite a bit of homework.
Bill, if facts and research piss you off because they didn't have the spin you'd like to put on them, then you have a big problem, probably with yourself.
On Jun.28.2007 at 04:55 PM
Corey Buckner’s comment is:
Bad static logo, but if the inner-circle rotates counter to the outer-circle it MIGHT be cool. Otherwise it makes me dizzy. Nice clean typeface, but a little confusing.
On Jun.29.2007 at 11:38 AM
XMO’s comment is:
Good. Surprising. I don't know how to take this one. Very different.
On Jul.01.2007 at 12:35 AM
Destroyer’s comment is:
Nice contemporary lock up. A definite improvement over the large volume of static, widely letterspaced logos out there. Hurray for the designer for taking us in a different direction - not simply saddling up the one trick pony, and giving us a repeat of something we've seen a million times before. Isn't that what we're all trying to accomplish?
On Jul.03.2007 at 03:17 PM
Stephoid’s comment is:
Rather similar to Arts Council UK logo...
Whatever happened to being original?
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/
FIELD_NICKNAME_ouroboca’s comment is:
http://www.FIELD_MESSAGE_dronacnocae.com/
On Dec.23.2008 at 08:12 PM
FIELD_NICKNAME_ouroboca’s comment is:
http://www.FIELD_MESSAGE_dronacnocae.com/
On Dec.23.2008 at 08:13 PM
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