An interesting article on Ontario’s new trillium logo appeared in the Toronto Star today.
Critics dislike that the Liberal party spent $219,000 on redesigning the logo (devaluation of design, anybody?). The opposition is outright accusing the Liberals of having had it redesigned to look like the trillium in their party’s logo.
I think they’re just resisting change. As ever, Paul Rand’s statement rings true:
“The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.”
Let’s ignore all the accusations and just look at the revamped logo. What do you think of it? I find it very attractive, extremely refreshing and more elegant and sophisticated than its predecessors. I think it’s an excellent direction for the logo to have taken. And look at the wonderful little representations of people coming together, disguised as the leaves of the flower – working together to hold and create and grow something beautiful. What an elegant visual pun.
Now I want to respond to the accusations directly:
Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory says it’s “a waste of money”, and the proceeds to ask why they felt the need to change it. A very clear demonstration of exactly what Paul Rand was pointing out in his quote, above. Tory has presented no reason not to change it, either…
I’d also like to point out that the similarities between the tiny, insignificant trillium in the Liberal party’s logo with Ontario’s new logo are based on the overall idea of the shape, only. Looking at the Ontario Liberal Party‘s website, the logo is so small, I can barely see it. But the trillium in their logo actually makes me think more of Adobe’s PDF logo than Ontario’s trillium. In fact, had it not been pointed out in this manner, I would have wondered why Ontario was using an Adobe trademark in their logo… but that’s another entry for another time!
The political leaders are just looking for a way to blast this new identity because it is so different from the old. In fact, I find it appalling that the differences between the 1972, 1994 and 2004 logos are so minimal that they are barely even noticeable (was colour the only change between 1994 and 2004?) and, if they want to complain about how much was spent on rebranding Ontario, I’d like to know:
- how much was spent on those extremely minimal changes between ’72-’94, then ’94-2004;
- which government was in power during those times;
- and to whom did they pay their fees for those “changes”?
Then maybe they’d have something to argue about.
But, for the record: I say congratulations to Bensimon Byrne for coming up with an intelligent, modern and sure, I’ll admit it, pretty interpretation for Ontario’s trillium logo.
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