Dear readers, that is the biggest misconception EVER.

Whose logo is this? . . .

How long would it take to draw? Let’s say 10 seconds in InDesign to make the rectangle and 10 minutes to get the width just right. How much do you bill per hour? To make it easy, let’s say $90. By that reckoning, this is a $15 logo.

Not only that, but the yellow border is not the designer’s creation; it’s been the trademark of the client, National Geographic magazine, for a century.

Yet when he “designed” this rectangle in 2002, Tom Geismar (Chermayeff & Geismar) created one of the clearest, most identifiable, most portable images on the planet, meaning one that works beautifully in every venue regardless of size, resolution, or surrounding clutter.

That’s design.

How powerfully simple can you make your next logo?

Orange gradients! Text on paths! Don’t you need computers for those? You may have been born yesterday, but a lot of great stuff has been around since dirt was new, and how it looks now is because of how it looked then. So the question is, in what decade was this Tide design (on the left) on store shelves? Extra credit if you know its debut year. We’ll answer next week.

(Those of you with the Before & After Master Collection will find the answer in issue 34, page 6.)

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May 23, 2011

The first really successful household detergent, Tide was invented in 1943 and came to market in 1946. This is its original box. Barely changed in nearly 60 years, Tide’s whirlpool is a textbook study in design excellence. Orange gradients (Hey! Don’t those require computers?) circle around a center (text on a path!), pulling your eye in and pushing it out at the same time, mimicking — with no animation at all — the mesmerizing action of that new washday miracle, the automatic washing machine. As fresh today as it was then, its look has been widely imitated. Photos courtesy of Proctor & Gamble.

P.S.: The responses below were posted before this answer was revealed.

But they were stuck.

What they’d hoped for was an image that would convey three character attributes of their company — integrity, resilience and commitment. These are wonderful qualities. Problem is, any one of them is almost impossible to convey in a graphic (quick! what does resilience look like?), not to mention all three.

Not only that, but they’re inward-facing; that is, they have meaning not to the customer but only to the company.

My recommendation: Turn and face the customer. One hundred years in business, all by itself, speaks plenty about values and vision. The company has stood the test of time and all that that implies — and the customer will get it.

I cobbled together a rough and said how about if we picture it this way:

It’s a Model T wheel and a modern car wheel, a compact image that spans a century of automobiles. Use it as a badge and stick it on everything all year — Web site, stationery, print advertising, signs, posters, invoices, all of it, wherever the company name or logo also appears.

It of course needs refinement, and whether they use the image or not remains to be seen, but I pass along the idea because I’m sure there are many old-new topics that can be depicted in a similar way.

Think about yours.

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Do you recognize this typeface?

Catull is a calligraphic-style font created for Berthold in 1982 by type designer Gustav Jaeger. Its faintly curved strokes and flat-nib serifs and terminals are natural characteristics of handwriting and convey a sense of age, warmth and intimacy — the opposite of cool, modern and digital.

Which is something that designer Ruth Kedar had in mind in 1999 when she chose Catull for her famous logo . . .

Said she, “Catull borrows elements from traditional writing instruments such as the quill and chisel, with a modern twist. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past. Therefore, Catull’s historical ties seemed appropriate, as did the bridging between the old analog world and the new emerging digital era.

“It must be remembered,” she told Haaretz.com, “that at the time, many people were afraid to use the Internet, and it was important to broadcast something user-friendly both on the home page and in the logo. Something simple, that you didn’t need to be scared of, something catchy and full of life.”

Hmmmm.

I see the reasoning, but . . .

Had you made Google’s connection between new and old? I hadn’t. Not even subliminally. The cues are too subtle. A word that looks like goggle and sounds like oogle and feels like giggle in colors like kindergarten isn’t going to connect historically unless the connection is obvious, more like this . . .

I exaggerate, but only a little.

It’s something to keep in mind. This is a case where the appeal is in the word itself. G-o-o-g-l-e. When you find yourself here, generally speaking you don’t want to add a visual trick. And understatement, as in this case, rarely works either.

I think Google would be better off with a typeface that looks, well, googly.

For more on the development of Google’s logo, check out Wired magazine.

For more on how to design a text-only logotype, check out our article.

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Dear readers: Every design for a client starts with a creative brief. You can read about that here, but do it later; the short version is something like this:

Rule #1: Listen.
Rule #2: Understand and embrace the client’s vision.
Rule #3: Write it down. You and the client sign it.
Rule #4: Design that. Don’t design something else.

The process of making the brief can sometimes be shortcut but usually not. For time’s sake, I usually try. It rarely works.

The following will be an audience-participation project. It begins as a conversation between Gayle Heatherington — executive director of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra — and me. I publish it because I want you to hear the question-answer process that leads up to the creative brief. Keep in mind that we’re corresponding long distance — she in Illinois and I in California — which requires questions that an on-site meeting may not. At the end, I’ll ask for volunteers to work on a design solution.

Gayle begins: I love your discussions of logos and wonder if you (and your readers) would be interested in commenting on ours. Our name is actually our logo. It is made up of two fonts: Linotext Std and Van Dijk Std.

The name of the orchestra is Ars Viva, which means “living art.” Our concerts often juxtapose beloved masterworks with less-familiar repertoire. Hence, the current logo has Ars in an old-style font and Viva in a modern, forward-looking font with an exclamation mark. This is to represent the old and the new. Trite?

I would be interested in investigating whether a change would helps us brand our image better. Also, the name itself is a challenge for most people, and they don’t know what it means. I have wondered if an actual logo in addition to the name might help make us more easily recognizable.

The orchestra was founded by our music director (my husband!) 15 years ago. One of its distinctives is that he gives friendly, informative remarks to the audience from the stage that provide context for the music and establish a welcoming atmosphere at each concert. Also, the orchestra is comprised of many of the finest musicians in Chicago, including members of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Therefore, the quality is extremely high, yet not “stuffy” and unapproachable.

In case you wish to take this project on, you can find more information about the orchestra at our web site: www.arsviva.org. [Readers: While you're there, don't miss this essay.]

I would appreciate any comments you may have about our current logo and any thoughts you and your readers may have about alternative logos.

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Hi Gayle,

Thank you for your great story.

Questions:

When you say your name is a “challenge for most people,” is the challenge . . .

1) that they have trouble pronouncing it?
2) that they don’t know what it means?
3) that they can’t position it in their minds? (i.e.: I understand what the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is, but what’s the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra? Public? Private? Big? Small? Professional? Amateur? And so on.)
4) Other?

When you wonder if a change “would help us brand our image better,” it sounds like you’re referring to #3 above.

When you wonder about an “actual logo,” I presume you have in mind a mark like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s, in addition to your name. Yes? No?

Is Ars Viva something like the Boston Pops?

John

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Dear John,

Here are the answers to your questions.

When you say your name is a “challenge for most people,” is the challenge

1) that they have trouble pronouncing it?

Yes, a lot of people don’t realize it is two Latin words, and they think the first word is simply three letters, and they call us A-R-S Viva, which, of course, means nothing.

2) that they don’t know what it means?

Yes, we have often been asked by patrons what the name means. This gives us a chance to explain the “old and new” music concept, but only to those who ask!

3) that they can’t position it in their minds? (i.e., I understand what the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is, but what’s the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra? Public? Private? Big? Small? Professional? Amateur? And so on.)

Correct here, too.

When you wonder if a change “would help us brand our image better,” it sounds like you’re referring to number 3 above.

Really all three. But number 3 is much more challenging. We don’t have a location to call home: Chicago Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Rockford Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, etc. We perform in Skokie, Illinois, but we are a regional orchestra, and Skokie is not really our home town. Skokie already has an amateur orchestra (Skokie Valley Symphony), and we don’t want to be confused with them.

An organization like Music of the Baroque has a name that clearly explains what you can expect when you attend one of their concerts, and it was a very good name for building this organization. But we don’t perform just one style of music — in fact, quite the opposite!

When you wonder about an “actual logo,” I presume you have in mind a mark like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s, in addition to your name. Yes? No?

Yes. Maybe if the name is confusing, at least people can get used to seeing the logo and recognize us that way.

Is Ars Viva something like the Boston Pops?

Well, if you mean performing pops repertoire, then no. In the sense that we have a lot of the same players as the CSO, then yes. But the Boston Pops is run by the Boston Symphony, and we are a completely independent organization. We are more like the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. We are a chamber-size orchestra (though we have not called ourselves that), and we perform in a smaller space than the CSO — more intimate — and the rapport with the audience when my husband talks to them is relaxed, entertaining and informative. But the music is serious, not pops. We offer people in the suburbs the opportunity to hear a world-class orchestra close to home. The commute to Chicago is daunting for many! Even if they are subscribers to the CSO, they can see many of the same players on our stage and hear interesting music that they don’t often play downtown.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Your current logo is built on an interesting typographic concept [old and new], but its rendering is rough. Easiest place to start is to polish your idea to see if better typography will help. Attached are three possibilities, all similar. The colors are derived from your Web site. It may take some time for my fantasy to catch up to your reality. Just give me a reaction.

John

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Dear John,

Of the three examples, I like #3 best.  #1 — the Viva is too hard to read. It could look like Ars Uiua. #2 is okay but doesn’t jump out at me. I like the Viva font in #3.

Reduced to the size they would be on a letterhead, return envelope, small print ad, etc., I suspect that there would be a real problem reading Alan’s name. Also, the very thin lines of the typeface for the “Ars” would disappear in printing. I often print our logo reversed on a black background, and the very thin lines would be swallowed up with black ink.

Because Alan is the founding music director of our orchestra, his name should be more prominent. He is actually part of our image. He is very well known in the Chicago area, and so his name actually is pretty important. His name could even be on top of the logo!  :+)

Ideally, I would like a logo that can be reduced, stacked, printed in color, black or white. The design restrictions for multicolor logos present too many problems. The man who designed our logo originally had the Viva! in a rainbow of colors — like your “After.” I liked it but quickly had to drop it for practical reasons.

We also used to have a byline that we often printed near our logo that read Making music come to life. Much like your How to design cool stuff. It was printed under a treble clef that had a leaf growing out of it. I don’t know if this helped explain the name or not. The treble clef was actually an S in some font turned around! See below.

We used different words underneath: Discover it! Share it! Experience it! But soon just dropped that part.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Thanks for the helpful feedback.

I should have been clearer. My interest at this early stage is only in the form factor, that is, what the typefaces alone convey. Color, size, usability — that will come later. Same for Alan’s name.

The final logo will be usable in all sizes, colors, resolutions, etc. In this case, the fonts have heavier-line versions for reproduction under more difficult conditions.

I like the Viva font in #3.

That’s the one we did first. Do you like your original concept of a two-typeface logo? If so, our job will be to find the right two typefaces. Or are you hoping for a new direction?

We also used to have a byline that we often printed near our logo that read “Making music come to life.”

I like this image and the byline. It doesn’t explain your name, but it gives me a sense of what you’re about.

I understand your name. That’s because you told me up front that it means living art. You also explained the kind of music you play, and your husband’s role not only as founder and director but as something of a curator for the audience.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational, music experience — very appealing. Your Web site conveys this.

You have two sets of goals. One is to have a logo. The other is to tell your story in its various ways. The logo can tell the story but doesn’t have to.

Tell me more.

John

—————

[Dear readers: In trying to shortcut this process, I omitted several developmental steps and assumed, without thinking, that Gayle could read my mind, which, of course, she couldn't. Her first impression, therefore, was formed like yours -- she saw what's on the page, accurately, and responded to it. First impressions are strong. Her sense that this logotype has problems -- observed from experience, obviously -- taints it. Now, elements that should have been presented up front -- black & white, robust type, etc. -- may be seen as "corrections" rather than integral parts of the image. That's an uphill road that neither you nor the client should have to climb. Beginner's mistake.]

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John,

I should have been clearer. My interest at this early stage is only in the form factor; that is, what the typefaces alone convey. Color, size, usability — those will come later. Same for Alan’s name.

Tell me more.

Well, I’ll try. It is hard for me not to look at something as a finished product, having never been through this process before! I got one response from a friend that the “Ars” font impressed her as Art Deco, which would not really work for us.

Do you like your original concept of a two-typeface logo? If so, our job will be to find the right two typefaces. Or are you hoping for a new direction?

Your probing questions have caused us to think about what we really want our name to convey. The consensus is that the concept of “old and new” (types of music we perform) is not as important as conveying excellence, energy, intimacy, excitement, newness, variety, freshness and a sense of “classiness but not stuffiness.” So, to answer your question, two typefaces are not necessary.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational music experience — very appealing.

These words are all very good at describing the Ars Viva experience! You have captured the essence of what we are about. I might only add that the performers are world-class musicians who perform at a very high artistic level. Ars Viva gives you great music and musicians who are accessible.

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

Before I lose this iteration entirely, here’s a modified version. For now, we’re looking only at the signature. This one’s minus the color, it has a clearer V, and the hint of Art Deco is gone. The Ars typeface is classic Garamond, which was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries and probably advertised some of these original performances!Moving on, the logo below on the left is for an upcoming Before & After project that has the same initials as Ars Viva. You’d need different colors, but does the form factor appeal to you? If so, can you picture it as the basis of a logo for the orchestra? The image below on the right is a pure ligature — a more organic image that takes advantage of the natural fit of your two letters.

John

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Dear John,

I like it and can picture it, an offhand impression. My husband thinks it is harsh and angular and doesn’t represent Ars Viva. Alan says the one on the right is going in the right direction — “it has flow and looks musical.”

Gayle

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Hi Gayle,

“It has flow and looks musical.” That’s a clue.

Let’s return to the beginning. I’ve attached our article “Design from a creative brief.” Please read it, especially pages 3 and 4, then with your husband and whoever else you’d like, do your best to describe your logo project and its goals, and get back to me.

Thank you!

John

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Hi John,

While “Design from a creative brief” seems to start with an image (dragonfly) and go from there, I have tried to use its format here:

Audience: Mostly over 50. Affluent.
Core target: Empty-nesters who have disposable time and income. Many of them played a musical instrument or sang when they were young.
Secondary target: Parents of young children (we have a special Music for Life program that targets 4- to 11-year-olds and brings in 20 or so young families to each concert.)
Tertiary targets: Corporations and foundations (especially important when applying for a grant)

Goals/Project Objectives:
Attract interest and respect and a sense of uniqueness.
Make the name more understandable (if possible) and readable.

Message:
“Approachable Excellence.” This is the phrase we came up with to describe Ars Viva in a nutshell.

Other words:
Professional, world-class, exciting, lively, fresh, new, elegant, classical, unique

We want to convey to the typical classical music concert-goer that we stand for the quality they expect from the Chicago Symphony; i.e., professionalism, trust, credibility.

However, we want to convey that their experience will be more personal, immediate, “up close,” and that the music and the musicians are approachable.   The conductor speaks to the audience from the stage (often with humorous comments) and makes the whole experience terribly enjoyable. The music is enjoyed more because it has been “unwrapped” for the audience before they hear it. But I digress . . .

We want to convey that our music performances are fresh and new — living and relevant (not to be confused with “contemporary” and “far out.” At Ars Viva, you might hear a symphony that you’ve heard all of your life, but it will feel like a new experience. There is a lot of energy and excitement at our performances.

Approaches:
Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra
Ars Viva Symphony
AVSO
AVS

All of these are okay. The only requirement is that the name must include: “Alan Heatherington, Music Director.”

If you work on a logo (separate from the name), you could use a musical symbol (baton, treble clef, bass clef, violin, etc. Other symbols would also be fine — a leaf or vine or tree or bird — something from nature that conveys the “living” aspect.

We would like the logo to be used in color and black & white. As a practical matter, I would prefer only one or two colors. When I asked the board what color they thought AV represented, I got “blue” and “green” or “teal.” But this is open to any suggestion of yours.

The following is from an earlier email, and I liked it, so I have copied it again here:

The consensus is that the concept of “old and new” (types of music we perform) is not as important as conveying excellence, energy, intimacy, excitement, newness, variety, freshness and a sense of “classiness but not stuffiness.” So, to answer your question, two typefaces are not necessary.

The impression I’ve formed, therefore, is of a warm, rich, light, comfortable, educational, music experience — very appealing.

These words are all very good at describing the Ars Viva experience! You have captured the essence of what we are about. I might only add that the performers are world-class musicians who perform at a very high artistic level. Ars Viva gives you great music and musicians who are accessible.

Okay, that is what we have so far. If you need more information, please let me know.

Gayle

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Dear readers: There you have it. Although there’s no substitute for meeting the principals face to face and (in this case) experiencing a live performance — we have a good creative brief. Gayle’s patient descriptions, plus her Web site, provide a clear look at the goals ahead. Feel free to comment on what you’ve just read. Feel free to submit your own creative brief questions. And feel free to try your hand designing a new logotype for the symphony. Do this only if you’re serious. If you have questions or want clarifications, ask. Send your work directly to me. We’ll select several for critique.

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I should start by saying that I love you readers! Bright, perceptive, articulate — you just rock! What a pleasure to have an audience of colleagues!

Earlier this month, the day the 2014 Sochi Olympics logo was unveiled, a friend e-mailed me the Transformer Studio Olympic logo, saying that he liked the image and its symbolism, to which I couldn’t help but agree. It’s pretty, full of motion and dance and fire. It works in full color and one color, at all scales and in all media. It satisfies Transformer’s creative brief beautifully. I liked it, too.

At least, I liked it as a classroom assignment, where I’d give it an easy A. But the longer I looked, the less I liked. Out in the real world, to represent the real Russia in the real Olympics, the circle seemed vaguely . . . empty.

That sent me exploring, where I discovered that this was not the logo of the 2014 Sochi games at all, but merely a runner-up. The official logo is this one, from Interbrand . . .

. . . which consists of the logotype and the ice crystals, too.

Both entries were designed in Moscow.

Having seen the firebird first (and perhaps because I’d seen it first), my response to the official logo was like some of yours — meh. But that lasted about 10 seconds, and then I started to like it. And the more I looked, the more I liked. Main reasons? There are three: It’s unmistakably Russia, it’s unmistakably winter, and it’s unmistakably today. In 40 years it will look old, as it should, because in 40 years it will live only in record and memory — “Hey, remember back . . . ?”

The firebird — let’s call it that — doesn’t do that. It feels generic, which means, literally, “stock.” It’s a logo with no name. Cover up Sochi, and you’re left without a single clue where these Olympics will be played. Cleveland? Rangoon? Winter? Summer? It’s clip art.

Beautiful, yes, and to be fair, it is not the first host-nation logo to look generic. The problem, however, is that, without a sense of place, the symbolism of its imagery — which is what makes the firebird work — doesn’t work. The feathers and circle dance have no meaning, if they’re perceived at all. As Orlando Angel commented, “It could be a logo from any year, any place. It seems anonymous . . . lacking a relationship to something outside of itself.”

That’s bad news for any logo, but we’re branding Russia, comrades, not Charmin. The Empire. And it’s not, as Erin put it, the “fairy-tale, fantasy Russia,” for which the firebird may have worked. It’s Mother Russia. Peter the Great, Tolstoy, Nicholas and Alexandra, Red Square, Tchaikovsky, Solzhenitsyn. The Bear may be a menacing countenance to those who came of age in the 20th century, but you can’t design him away.

And you shouldn’t, because this is how Russia looks. Said Daria, “I am a designer from Russia, and I can say that it’s quite in our tradition to use heavy brick, cut-out forms (remember Russian avant-garde of the 20th century beginning, our famous posters of the World War time, and socialist realism as the leading trend of design and art).”

Added Paulie, “The [logo] for me says ‘Russia’ — in re-emergence. A nation that respects strength above all. Churchill presented a ceremonial sword to Stalin to honor the ‘steel-hearted citizens of Stalingrad.’ To me, the logo evokes that spirit. The typeface is reminiscent of the Russian revolutionary and wartime posters — a simple, strong, bold appeal to the Russian heart.”

As for the visual details, which to some readers made the logotype “unreadable” and “confusing,” what we have is an English-language logo that hints of Cyrillic lettering (not easy to do), which, to Western eyes, is unreadable. To my eye, the juxtaposition works as both complex and interesting. The “y” in 2014, as Erin pointed out, “looks like the letter for the ‘ch’ sound in Russian, which reflects the ‘ch’ sound in Sochi.” No one gets it at a glance, though. You have to look twice.

You can also see the hint of mountain-sea reflection that represents Sochi, which, the world will learn, is a sub-tropical resort town along the thin strip between the Caucasus mountains and the Black Sea.

The Olympic Games are an ancient event that every two years bring the world’s nations together in a place, in a time. They have a fine and enduring logo. The Sochi 2014 image does what a host-nation logo should do; it puts its stamp on the place and time. These are not the Winter Games of Lake Placid or Lillehammer or Nagano, these are the games of Sochi, and you won’t forget that. In a month, Vancouver will get its turn. Then London. After Sochi, Rio. And so on.

Keep in mind, too, that the block lettering will rarely be seen in isolation; don’t forget those ice crystals — “fresh and tangy,” said Brett — which will be splashed, sprayed, scattered everywhere on venues big and small. You can already download some for yourself.

In the end, the Olympic Games are about the athletes, the competition, the pageantry, the tradition, and never about the logotype. And while, as some of you said, politics and money may have had a hand in making this selection, there is, for me at least, no doubt that they chose the better image.

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For more:
39 Olympic logos from 1924 to 2012. webdesignerdepot.com
Complete, immersive history of the modern Olympics. olympic.org

We’ll look at it in a few moments, but first I want to look at something else — a competing entry from the Moscow design firm Transformer Studio that blends five visual concepts in a graceful image that works at every scale.

Transformer’s creative brief was brief . . .

“The goal was to scatter the myth about the image of Russia as a cold and unfriendly country. The symbolics should represent Russia and its genuine friendly spirit and hospitality.”

. . . and partly pictorial . . .

Said Transformer of the images above  . . .

“People are dancing in a cheerful circle dance, holding hands, laughing and singing. Khorovod* is a symbol of unity. The logotype consists of palekh*-stylized firebirds’ feathers in a round dance.

“Firebird is a Slavic fairytale character, symbol of fire, light and sun. Young men had to find firebirds’ feathers in order to complete the challenge.

“Since the beginning of the Olympics, champions have been given the highest honor to be awarded by a wreath. Five feathers form the laureate wreath, which symbolizes five continents as in the Olympic sign.”

*Khorovod: traditional Russian circle dance
*Palekh: Russian national folk art

From these ideas and images, they designed the entry below . . .

Typeface: Co Headline OT

. . . which clearly integrates all five elements: the circle dance, the flame, the feathers, the laurel wreath and the idea of unity, all colored to correspond to the Olympic rings.

It’s very functional. It works in one color (and in negative) . . .

It works small . . .

. . . and it works big . . .

Note on the balloon the relationships of scale. The logo appears twice; the first is small and complete, and the second is so big that there’s room for only part of it. The contrast is fantastic — it’s a bold, arresting, almost overwhelming presentation that will connect worldwide even on small screens.

———-

So now back to Tuesday’s unveiling.

The logo chosen for these games is not that one but this one:

There are several visual ideas embodied in this design, plus a functional one — it’s a Web address, which is a first.

The Sochi2014.ru site describes the logo as “a 21st-century brand for a digital generation,” designed to “actively encourage dialog between Russians, nations and winter sports fans, particularly youth.” Its (semi-)mirrored typography is intended to represent Sochi’s location on the Black Sea, “at the meeting point of the sea and the mountains.”

The second part of the brand is a blue and white snow crystal pattern . . .

This logo, too, is very functional. It works in any color and in negative . . .

It works small . . .

. . . it works big . . .

. . . and of course it works in all media . . .

So the question is, what do you think of these designs? I have a favorite and an analysis, but before I tell you mine, I want to hear from you.

Before you write, mull awhile. Don’t make a knee-jerk reaction.

What does each logo say to you?

What visual characteristics are “doing the talking”? Which do you like? Which do you not like? Can you say why?

Deconstruct. As designers, it’s our job to make this stuff, and we need to understand what we’re doing.

Keep in mind that a host-city logo represents a transitory event and, unlike the Olympic rings, does not need to endure.

It was the 1962 typeface change that visually separated Pepsi-Cola from Coca-Cola, which until then had shared a swashy, Spencerian script, at least in the uppercase letters. Pepsi’s clean, modern look was in sync with 1960s design, in which sans-serif type was acquiring huge popularity, and for a time it left Coca-Cola’s 19th-century logo looking rather old.

Above, left to right, 1930s, 1951, 1962, 1987. Note the Coca-Cola-style script, and that the Pepsi wave has remained almost unchanged for 75 years.

Pepsi’s makeover and high-octane advertising paid dividends in sales. Outsold by Coke five to one in the the early 1960s, by the mid-1980s the gap was two to one, close enough that nervous Coca-Cola introduced “New Coke,” reformulated, it was said, to taste more like Pepsi! (a misadventure that lasted only three months)

While Pepsi’s look has been modified many times, its wavy red, white and blue circle has remained basically the same and is Pepsi’s real icon. The 2008 iteration retains the circle and colors but distorts the wave; and it replaces the bold, full-blast typeface with a light, low-key version — airy, minimal, quiet.

This is not unwelcome. In a world pounded by relentless visual noise (thank you, Internet), Pepsi is joining a move to simplicity and silence characterized by spare, pure design (thank you, Apple). It prevails over the noise not by outshouting it but by erasing it; as in an art gallery, the product alone on a clear field is the only thing you see.

As it was in the 60s, Pepsi’s new design is in sync with the times. This time, however, it has some company. Coca-Cola has gotten synched up, too, ditching its shadows, metallics and fake water drops for a crisp, white-on-red presentation that is simpler, clearer, stronger.

Above, the busy old cans and the quiet new ones.

Side by side, Coke’s new aluminum bottle and Pepsi’s new can make it obvious that we’re in a new era of ultra-clean brand design. These products stand out on cluttered shelves by virtue of their white space — or, in this case, red and blue space.

The question, though, was what do you think of it? Does Pepsi’s new logo work? I asked last week, and you had many bright, perceptive things to say.

For my part, I’m a big fan of the new simplicity. Simple design means that lines, shapes and colors are applied only after asking, “Does this element strengthen or weaken the visual message?” Nothing is plopped down arbitrarily; simple design is characterized by intentional, to-the-point clarity, and it’s always beautiful.

That said, had I been on Pepsi’s board, I would have given the new design a thumbs down. It’s technically adequate (if unimaginative), but the sum of its parts, as many of you pointed out, is static, empty, vaguely bland. It conveys no energy, no motion, no effervescence, and, well, it’s not young. Its styling cues — the round letters, the wavy e, the swashy circle — will please Pepsi insiders, and consumers will recognize it, but that’s the end of the good news. It really could, as others said, pass for an oil can or a tissue box or an airline logo.

Above, Pepsi, Korean Air Lines

So what’s happening? The problem starts with the wavy circle. By disconnecting it from the type and floating it in space, it becomes a singular design element that must stand on its own, which it really cannot do. It’s not a bottle cap, as it once was. It’s not an object. It has no meaning in real life.

Pepsi’s circle and name used to interact — one overlaid the other or was contained within it . . .

. . . so the two functioned as one. The wave added motion and vigor to the name. Alone, however, the Gestalt law of equilibrium takes over and brings all that to a stop . . .

Equilibrium Above, an object in nature tends toward a stable, resting state, as seen in a water droplet. Splashed water beads up — draws inward — and comes to rest in a circle, the shape of greatest equilibrium.

In logo design, a circle is used to convey stability and stasis. It’s the reassuring shape that says, “we’re here, we’re settled, we’re steady, you can trust us.”

Above, left to right, BMW, Target, ABC, AT&T, General Electric, Starbucks

Pepsi, of course, is “here, settled, steady and trustworthy,” but that message is for its shareholders. Its public image is Fun! Carefree! And young!

You’d think the wave would help. It’s active, for sure. I don’t see the “smile” unless I try hard, but it does remind me of sailboarding. Problem is, it’s stuck inside that circle, where it’s too small to overcome the effect of equilibrium and the stasis of the large, empty field around it.

(Above, left to right) Full of motion, no motion, slow motion

The thin typeface doesn’t help, either. Thin type is mostly air. Because of that, it can convey quietness, sophistication, authority, the kind that comes with understatement. But these qualities also require a conventional, grown-up typeface, not Pepsi’s quirky round one.

It’s an awkward setting. Three round forms are followed by an abrupt si. There’s a tiny wave in the e. All is lowercase. The single stroke weight is mechanical, meaning it required machines to draw it, so it lacks the warmth of a human hand. It’s not people.

But why is it here? Understatement is not Pepsi. Pepsi is about bubble and fizz — cheery, exuberant, bursting. This typeface is slow; it’s upright and mostly circles, and you know what they do. Better would be bold type that’s italicized or swoopy or in other ways put in motion. The tiny e wave is moving, but it’s too small to have any effect.

The can slows things further. It’s mostly white space, which is used in graphic design to convey silence. White space in an art gallery is a good thing; it allows the eye to settle undisturbed on the artwork. But here it’s out of place, because there’s nothing to “settle” on except that ball, which is static. Worse, the layout of typeface and ball form not a straight line, which would be fast, but an inert “L,” all of which gives the design its sense of inactivity.

None of this means that the design will fail. It may do just fine — it’s only one part of a program, after all, that Pepsi can power with rhythm and drive. Advertising can be bold and fast — tilted, flashing, spinning, with multiple logos or HUGE logos — but alone, this tepid design will not help them.

Back to Coke
Before I leave the topic, it may be instructive to look again at Coca-Cola’s logotype, which is everything Pepsi’s is not . . .

Coca-Cola’s famous, hand-drawn script is full of human warmth. Circular letters are vigorous and rhythmic, and those swashy Cs have exuberant, carefree flair. Thick-to-thin strokes are visually engaging and fast, because the eye follows converging lines. The name has the strength of aural alliteration, too; Coca-Cola’s repetitive, hard “c” sound is visually expressed in the flowing loops. Best of all, the name is the logo . . .

. . . so no matter how much white (red) space it’s in, no interpretation is necessary. High-contrast red and white could not be stronger, an effect amplified, above, by the high contrast of elaborate script and simple circle, one smooth and plain, the other high texture and high touch. And the logo runs in a single, straight line, which is direct and very fast.

So what do you think? Does Pepsi’s new logo have what it takes? Or should it go back to the drawing board?

Let me know.

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