A Blob Walks Out of a Clock Tower in Brisbane

Let me first volunteer that I’ve tried to convince Armin to send us to these destination locations but the only Brisbane I’ve seen is here in California, which wouldn’t make it too thrilling. This particular branding is for Brisbane in Australia — which would be so more exciting — and is developed specifically by Brisbane Marketing, which is a subsidiary of the Brisbane City Council. This identity takes the place of the Brisbane Marketing’s previous mark, but it doesn’t do away with it completely…

Brisbane Marketing has taken their previous Brisbane identity and relegated it to hang on their organization’s shingle. This previous identity was designed in 2003 by Minale Bryce Design Strategy (Seen in their current state at Minale Tattersfield), and from what previous Minale Bryce Director Jack Bryce tells us, it was a bit controversial at the time — referred to in the press as “blob” and “splat” and not in a Nickelodeon-good way. Indeed, that logomark did look a bit like the green cousin of Cingular’s Jack was hit in the busy Brisbane streets. And to be clear, this identity is not going away, but rather appears as the mark associated with “Brisbane Marketing” (and in doing so, making way for a separate destination logo). This marketing logo can be seen in some of the marketing examples below and those provided in the style guide [free registration required].

To make this even more confusing, there is the affordance for locking up the marketing organization logo (blob) with the Brisbane City Council logo (clock tower) — and the latter with the destination logo — but never the destination logo with the marketing logo (blob). So, We’ve got a clock tower and their resident blob which all help to promote Australia’s eastern-most big city.

The new destination design (we’ve got a request out for design credits) takes a more conservative approach with its lowercase, multicolor wordmark. It’s type, it’s straightforward and sturdy, and it’s not terribly memorable. Supporting the new brand, the site for Brisbane Marketing maintains a rather extensive public set of Brand Tools. There are the standard set of elements (positioning, attributes, pyramid, etc) as well as an interesting distillation of a description for Brisbane, boiling down a 420-word statement to 250 words, then 120 words, and finally 70.

Brisbane. Positive and forward thinking, generous and optimistic.

We lead the world in infrastructure, health, biotechnology and education and our subtropical climate and sunny disposition is ideal for nurturing and inspiring creativity.

Brisbane is clean, green, friendly, tolerant and multicultural, creative, collaborative and liveable. It’s this openminded and globally responsible attitude that enables us to maintain a balance between progress and sustainability.

Welcome to Brisbane, Australia’s new world city.

If the marketing blob was as outspoken and playful as youth, the new identity is soft-spoken and more grown up. Grown up much in the way the modifier “it’s happening” has buttoned up into the tagline “Australia’s new world city”. This is a maturity from an adolescent marketing identity into destination adulthood, and while this brand can now sit quietly in a room with other similar, adult brands without saying too much, the conversation might be kind of dull.

Thanks to Jack Bryce for the tip.

Adam’s comment is:

I’m Melbournian but enjoy Brisbane’s culture.

Great shops, nice architecture, impeccable theme parks.

Oh, and they’re sports mad.

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:14 AM

Nick Irwin’s comment is:

having the old logo for the marketing group is like hanging out with an old girlfriend just let it go brisbane move on to your new logo and dont look back dont make it hard on us

i digress…being that I have never been to Brisbane I know enough that the town deserves a cooler typeface but thats just an opinion

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:24 AM

Evan MacDonald’s comment is:

I like how the new mark includes the tagline as part of the logo. But the letter spacing really drives me up the wall, especially since the spacing is so loose in the tagline and so tight-but-not-touching in the ‘brisbane.’

As for the gamut of marks? I’d like to see an art director with balls enough to tell his client that they can only have one. Srsly.

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:33 AM

Adam Bestwick’s comment is:

I agree Nick.
Nothing against simple wordmark brands but the font choice does seem a little pedestrian.

The strapline is a little apologetic also - it looks tiny in the various executions above and would disappear on a business card.
A touch less word space and an increase in size would give it more presence.

Ah - Just noticed the magenta option at the head of this story
Which one is correct??

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:37 AM

Dale Campbell’s comment is:

I think the idea of a wordmark is a great ideas, but I too agree with previous posters on the font choice.

The old logo borrowed to heavily from Cingular’s old logo - but I suppose there are a million logos in the world that also do.

Unfortunately, I think the logo in general is forgettable.

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:53 AM

Brendan’s comment is:

Nice to see Brissie update its style. I like the typeface, even if it doesn’t do anything to stand out (seems like people like to add ligatures or make their characters flow a bit when they make a wordmark), and the colors are very Aussie. And if they want to market their city more broadly than just a spot where good stuff is happening, then more power to ‘em!

This is just a coincidence, but when I see a white wordmark of all lowercase letters on a certain blue background, I see Facebook. Maybe stay away from that one.

Does anyone know what font this is?

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:55 AM

buruno’s comment is:

The lettering seems very odd, almost as if a 3pt stroke had been applied to it. I hope I’m wrong, though.
Between “adult” and “dull”, the logo undoubtfully represents the latter to me.

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:10 AM

FlyCasual’s comment is:

The tag line is flush left but appears to extend beyond the “e” on the right, which I find extremely awkward and amateur. (i.e. it might be “technically” aligned, but it’s not visually aligned.)

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:51 AM

Spork in the Road’s comment is:

What exactly is the point of having the Brisbane Marketing logo on the piece at all? Name the last print ad, billboard, or TV spot you saw that had the agency/firm logo on it.

It’s needless, confusing, and most of all reminds the consumer that Brisbane is trying to sell them something. What a turn off. It’s like a charming guy that stops in the middle of chatting you up to remind you that he’s doing it all to sleep with you.

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:53 AM

MSGDS’s comment is:

I have to agree, this wordmark is boring and easily forgettable.

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:59 AM

Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:

‘Grown-up and conservative’ is too kind a description. How about staid, corporate and criminally unimaginative?

The new Brisbane identity may be consistently applied but it is also highly likely to be overlooked for more creative place brands. Or worse, held up as an example of a world-class branding opportunity missed.

Surely there must be some key notion that makes Brisbane worth living in or visiting. Or, in combination, a set of notions to inspire locals and entice foreigners to add more value to the city.

If Brisbane is a new world city, how has this become worth knowing beyond cold demographic statistics? Where is the heart and soul of the place when there are no press releases and other promotional material to create favourable impressions?

Granted, not all identities require a big brand idea and that equity may reside in the name alone but Brisbane doesn’t come pre-loaded with many curiosity inducing attributes.

If by default a facilitation of more vibrant lifestyle content is intended this should be demonstrated with intent, in order to become meaningfully owned as a brand attribute. A status-oriented brandline is not going to be enough. It won’t be long before the claim looks hollow and perhaps even ridiculous when things go wrong.

Besides an ejection of a problematic ‘man-splat’, the resulting Brisbane brand identity is nothing more than an inane cosmetic make-over. And, not only is the design of the wordmark fat and clumsy but the whole identity is…

…a fat colourless conceptual cop-out.

A.

Permalink

On Dec.09.2009 at 09:28 AM

Cam Hoff’s comment is:

Why in the before/after example is the tagline tracked tighter than in the other examples? I think it looks better where’s its a bit bigger and tighter versus the small loose setting in the examples below.

On Dec.09.2009 at 10:24 AM

Sasha Kraus’s comment is:

have they not seen the ‘melbourne identity’???
at least choose a nice font if font is all you do.
25 thumbs down.

On Dec.09.2009 at 10:28 AM

martyn reding’s comment is:

Sadly it falls behind the new Melbourne identity. Destination branding is a really tricky game and there will always be heavy amounts of detractors on a newly unveiled city brand.

However Landor really upped the game with their work in Melbourne and I don’t think Brisbane has risen to the challenge.

Considering the difficulty of getting anything signed off on these kind of projects, i think they’ve done a respectable job. However it’s not going to win any innovation awards.

On Dec.09.2009 at 10:30 AM

Joachim’s comment is:

Compare the top bowl of ‘b’ with the other bowls, the top and bottom stem of ‘r’ and ‘n’, and that ‘e’ sure likes to hang low.

On Dec.09.2009 at 10:33 AM

Sasha Kraus’s comment is:

EVANMADE - the garden shower barcode is flat out the work of a genius.
http://www.evanmade.com/urban-farming-package-design/
i wish i made that

On Dec.09.2009 at 11:08 AM

Adam Bestwick’s comment is:

…and that’s relevant because???

On Dec.09.2009 at 11:26 AM

Erwin’s comment is:

Thank you for your contribution Sasha, I see where this fits in the whole Brisbane discussion, LOL!

On Dec.09.2009 at 11:27 AM

Smirker’s comment is:

Errrm.. and last time I checked proper nouns started with a capital letter.

On Dec.09.2009 at 11:45 AM

Ralph’s comment is:

It seems that the program is more on the the brand style than the identity. Fair enough, but the new mark really does lack memorability. I am confused with the Brisbane marketing logo. Why do they have a unique mark and not part of the identity program for Brisbane?

On Dec.09.2009 at 01:04 PM

Ivan’s comment is:

horrendous. I have no idea why teh majority of people here are voting “Fine” on “Wordmark Execution” - the type is amateur, the “e: is absolutely from another typeface, compared to the “a” especially. Disaster.

On Dec.09.2009 at 01:39 PM

San Antonio Employment Lawyers’s comment is:

Looks a little first drafty, more concept that finished product. Then again I’m not a big fan of that logo so I’m not really displeased.

On Dec.09.2009 at 01:42 PM

Sasha Kraus’s comment is:

adam bestwick - nothing to do with relevancy. i don’t want to start a whole new blog just to give someone a compliment. (lowest common denominator for both is design, so there is your relevancy)

On Dec.09.2009 at 02:42 PM

norwegian’s comment is:

Autotrace much?

This looks horrible. In small sizes it doesnt work at all.
No personality.
Three keywords: Fat, lazy and anonymous.

On Dec.09.2009 at 02:49 PM

SonHouse’s comment is:

I actually like the new wordmark. The font is kind of retro (1920’s travel posters) and yet somehow very web 2.0. It’s open, friendly, and the color options provide lots of flexibility. Yeah it could maybe be more expressive - but it works well when applied to a poster and such. It’s easily an improvement over the previous mark/blob - which looks very pharma to me. Not loving the the new tagline - but hey - even that is an improvement. Anyone know what font the new wordmark is set in?

On Dec.09.2009 at 02:57 PM

Nathan’s comment is:

Very boring, and does not increase my desire to visit Brisbane any more than before (which admittedly, wasn’t high). I guess there must have been pressure to play it safe after the whole blob thing, but this is just going too far.

On Dec.09.2009 at 04:45 PM

Jess Hindmarsh’s comment is:

I don’t think the old OR the new logo suit brisbane at all! Brissie is too relaxed & beachy for such a boring wordmark. No fun & no interest here at all.

On Dec.09.2009 at 04:47 PM

norwegian’s comment is:

And the sad neck on the ‘r’ says it all.
Even the wordmark itself is uneasy with how it looks.
Feel sorry for it. :(

On Dec.09.2009 at 04:58 PM

valt1’s comment is:

A picture withe a round remember me this brochure cover frome TV5 monde (international TV network)

On Dec.09.2009 at 05:06 PM

valt1’s comment is:

A picture withe a round remember me this brochure cover frome TV5 monde (international TV network) shot : http://twitpic.com/sukco

On Dec.09.2009 at 05:09 PM

Adam’s comment is:

Let’s see what Brisbanites think of this new identity.

On Dec.09.2009 at 05:14 PM

Adam’s comment is:

Oh, and the typeface is boring too.

On Dec.09.2009 at 05:52 PM

Christian Palino’s comment is:

The wordmark is set in Boris Black Bloxx

On Dec.09.2009 at 06:02 PM

tanya’s comment is:

i’ve never been a fan of the blob logo so i’m happy to see it move on. Brisbane has so much to offer and the talent within Brisbane is amazing, but for some reason this talent is never used when they do something on such a large scale. why is this?

Brisbane is definitely coming of age in the design/arts industry, however I do feel that we are still years away from the polished confidence of a city like Melbourne.

I love brisbane but find that I’m waiting for it to grow up a little more.

On Dec.09.2009 at 06:08 PM

Dan’s comment is:

Boring as batshit. I can’t believe this utter load of crap… although, it is not quite a surprise, given that it was ‘developed’ by the council. These buffoons don’t have a clue with regards to branding (you should see how much of a mess all their other branding is) and are generally spending more time covering their asses than doing their jobs.

Brisbane is a vibrant, youthful, energetic and forward-moving city… this wordmark does absolutely NOTHING to represent that. Period.

This is probably one of the biggest piles of shit I have ever seen in my life. I hate it. I am bored by it. It is a big load of NOTHING.

(vomits)

On Dec.09.2009 at 06:56 PM

fonzie’s comment is:

Why why why.

It’s not as bad as the recent Queensland campaign, but this ain’t good.

Why is Brisbane so quick to sneer at, and dumb down it’s own potential? It’s this attitude that sees some of the finest talents leave town. (eg Rinzen)

On Dec.09.2009 at 06:59 PM

fonzie’s comment is:

Incidentally, a friend had legal action threatened against him after speaking out about the incestuous selection methods used for projects like this in a letter to the editor. This after the release of the “splat” and the resulting public “huh?”.

Horrible solutions like this are what makes Brisbane companies “go south” for their “serious” work.

On Dec.09.2009 at 07:13 PM

local lad’s comment is:

Bit of a mess - not unlike Brisbane actually.

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:03 PM

Chris Thorpe’s comment is:

This feels like its missing a graphic element, something on which to hang the wordmark. Otherwise, it’s just more text—and in the above images, it’s text that seems to sit below “visitbrisbane.com.au” in the hierarchy.

I like the blob in its white format, but it doesn’t really say anything. Either way, It’s a mark in need of refinement, for sure, and feels like a missed opportunity.

On Dec.09.2009 at 08:35 PM

Eli’s comment is:

Really not liking this new logo, but it still seems so much better than the old one. How’s that?

On Dec.09.2009 at 10:47 PM

chickenfriedsteak’s comment is:

This is indicative of a lot of what Brisbane Marketing does. It is given to some of the most amateurish agencies in the city and is usually a “jobs for the boys” scenario. I am absolutely not surprised that this is the outcome. It would have been designed by committee following trends set by other sources without any real consideration for end usage, scalability or relevance. I know first hand the goings on within Brisbane Marketing and the Queensland destination scene in general. The decision makers have very little taste and are constantly trying to ape the look of other, more successful bands without understanding what makes them work. It is so disheartening especially when there is so much real talent readily available.

On Dec.09.2009 at 11:34 PM

Dirk’s comment is:

I like it.

FINALLY, we’re starting to see some real logos that will stand the test of time, and not the lame trendy stuff of their previous logo.

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:30 AM

fonzie’s comment is:

@chickenfriedsteak

Amen.

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:59 AM

fonzie’s comment is:

@Dirk

Plant?

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:59 AM

Natalie’s comment is:

It’s not just the execution of the mark, it’s what it stands for. As a young creative in Brisbane I can admit that this branding pretty much typifies the sort of facedesking we do here. The city (and state) is run by ham-fisted bureaucracy that trips over itself and plays it safe 90% of the time, resulting in either half finished or very safe ideas.

In the light of Melbourne’s branding Brisbane’s new identity really rubs in that we’ve got all these hurdles to jump. It’s frustrating that Brisbane doesn’t invest in its creative talent, and instead hands this kind of work over to public servants who don’t seem to care. I want to be inspired by my city, but this sort of thing just embarrasses me.

On Dec.10.2009 at 07:37 AM

Soda and Candy’s comment is:

Doesn’t seem showy enough for BrisVegas, but maybe that’s what they’re trying to do, mature it a little.

It’s not horrible, just slightly meh.

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:55 AM

Pennsylvania workers comp lawyer’s comment is:

It’s just down the middle of the road. Not too flashy, not really edgy, just another logo.

On Dec.10.2009 at 01:18 PM

JohanDebitDeisgn’s comment is:

What is sad and shocking is that the font used is not a creation. It’s nothing more than a free font that you can find everywhere, Boris Black Boxx.

http://www.dafont.com/fr/boris-black-bloxx.font

And how much did the branding agency sold this logotype ? I don’t want to know it…

On Dec.10.2009 at 05:01 PM

Dirk’s comment is:

@Fonzie,

I’m a plant for saying that it’s a good logo? I guess that means 478 of us are also plants. That’s how many people said this logo was an improvement (75%).

On Dec.10.2009 at 07:44 PM

fonzie’s comment is:

@Dirk

“FINALLY, we’re starting to see some real logos that will stand the test of time, and not the lame trendy stuff of their previous logo.”

This comment *reeks* of marketing spin, sunshine. It’s a horrible logo, technically, typographically, and strategically.

On Dec.10.2009 at 08:13 PM

Durka’s comment is:

This makes me want to throw up all over my own face. Utter shit. Typical council garbage.

On Dec.10.2009 at 09:08 PM

ozibelle’s comment is:

Brisbane is a fun, active, outdoor city - vibrant and colourful; go with the “blob”! It has a fresh new look that fits the style of the city - a “person” stepping out to see the sights”. Tighten the kearning on “it’s happening” and match the elongated italics in “Brisbane” and it’s GREAT. The font says classic, but fresh - and the “blob” adds character. As for printing on business cards or smaller media, drop the tagline - the identity remains.
My vote is in the “please don’t do it” category for the wordmark - the font looks hand-drawn and old world and anything but crisp…it does NOT scream of mature, instead it just says OLD. Tired even. Not fitting for the city.

On Dec.11.2009 at 06:43 AM

Dirk’s comment is:

We’re seeing a lot of angry Aussies on here who don’t have a CLUE about logo design.

But that’s ok, they’re in the minority.

On Dec.11.2009 at 01:52 PM

Andrew Reardon’s comment is:

This is worse than I snack 2.0

On Dec.13.2009 at 04:45 PM

Dale Napier’s comment is:

Ugh. As a Brisbane resident myself I can’t think of a more generic ‘meh’-inducing logo. The typeface is, as buruno said, looking overstroked and if the boris black boxx call is indeed correct - double bleargh.

Brisbane is proving itself to be so unoriginal and bland these days - just look at the ‘Brisbane Eye’ http://bit.ly/4R21QP or the Ihttp://bit.ly/4rpjox

I wish I lived in Melbourne :(

On Dec.13.2009 at 11:07 PM

r4i software’s comment is:

Wow many many logo options to choose from. The punch line isn’t very attractive though.

On Dec.14.2009 at 03:46 AM

Tayfun Ozturkmen’s comment is:

Once again Brisbane fails to utilise it’s talent. I’m becoming increasinly embarassed by all the location branding that comes out of Queensland. I live on the Gold Coast and its even worse down here. No doubt everyone just sees Queensland as “backward” and imitators. What @fonzie said about businesses “going south” is true. This kind of mark representing Brisbane is just another nail in Queensland’s creative coffin.

On Dec.14.2009 at 05:26 PM

Nathan Driskell’s comment is:

If this was a competition between Melbourne and Brisbane, I think we all know whose new identity could beat up the other’s.

On Dec.15.2009 at 01:35 PM

tom’s comment is:

awful, dull logo! the brief must have been to brand a boring city… because it stinks!

On Dec.17.2009 at 06:44 AM

Adam Haase’s comment is:

All this (Brand New) needs to do is to find something from both Canberra and Hobart and you’ve got the eastern side of Oz complete.

On Dec.17.2009 at 07:09 AM

Adam Haase’s comment is:

The Yellow on the Green, hmmmmm they must love John Deere.

On Dec.17.2009 at 07:14 AM

Adam Haase’s comment is:

And Sasha, WTF does Evan made have to do with Brisbane?

On Dec.17.2009 at 07:17 AM

David’s comment is:

This makes me sad — fix the confusion about the Council / Marketing / City identities with yet another one on top of it all. With the ICOGRADA Design Week later in 2010, the city has really missed a fantastic opportunity to make a statement about the city and it’s growing cultural identity.

But what have we got? A link to typefaces selected from a free font site. To add salt to the wounds these typefaces aren’t even created in Australia and can be used for any number of other purposes — a strip club, a fascist newsletter, a hot dog vendor to name a few examples.

Surprisingly the overall idea is sound — have something that anyone can use to help promote the city and it’s identity. The theory is viral, it’s cost-effective and it’s simple — I get this — but why not commission someone to create a purpose-built typeface that the city would actually [i]own[/i].

I only hope the designers of the typefaces used have received something out of this — I would hate to think that the typeface is being distributed and used in such a manner without any financial benefit to them.

On Dec.17.2009 at 08:46 PM

landscape lawn lighting’s comment is:

I agree! Just pleasing! Your penning manner is pleasing and the way you managed the subject with grace is commendable. I am intrigued, I presume you are an expert on this topic. I am signing up for your updates from now on.

On Dec.18.2009 at 01:04 PM

Jay Seven’s comment is:

*yawns* This new logo is boring and cheap. Seriously, it lacks inspiration and creativity!

I applied for a graphic designer position with Brisbane Marketing and initially I was bummed when I didn’t get it. But now that I’ve seen their latest ‘creative’ work, I gotta say I’m SO relieved! Cuz let’s face it — evidently they only hire desktop publishers.

On Dec.20.2009 at 10:22 PM

Lee P1’s comment is:

I’ll reserve my judgement on this matter.

On Dec.29.2009 at 11:44 AM

Gareth Coxon - Dot Design’s comment is:

As some have said…easily forgetable

On Jan.01.2010 at 12:02 PM

Ray Chan’s comment is:

Ok so the change was needed but the new logo just seems like too much thought was spent designing beautiful typography but not much on creating a concept that illustrated Brisbane as this upcoming world city. Bad, bad designers.

On Jan.05.2010 at 04:17 PM

Alan Horn Thomas’s comment is:

wow! that’s an absolutely amazing use of MICROSOFT WORD TO DESIGN!!!!!!!!!!!! serious no wonder seriously skilled designers are leaving the industry with this tripe coming out…. how much would they have paid for this, Really?? for a generic font and some bad colour choices.

Brisbane….. we really cant be f’d

thats what it represents,

On Jan.13.2010 at 04:44 PM

Jack Carper’s comment is:

Intriguing site. My colleagues and I were just talking about this the other day. Also your blog looks good on my old palm treo. And thats rare. Nice work.

On Jan.15.2010 at 06:38 PM

somaie’s comment is:

Everyone has their favorite way of using the internet. Many of us search to find what we want, click in to a specific website, read what’s available and click out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it’s efficient. We learn to tune out things we don’t need and go straight for what’s essential.
www.onlineuniversalwork.com

On Feb.05.2010 at 04:55 AM