RIP Dundee, City of Disco Very
If ever there was cause for a celebration then it is surely the news that Dundee is finally going to ditch the ugliest excuse for a logo that ever wasted printers ink. The old Comic Sans-esque monster has "become out dated" according to the City Council. Phew, glad they spotted that before it became embarrassing!
It reminds me of a meeting I had with a council member who's name I have long since forgotten. We were sat in the DCA having a coffee and he was asking me some questions for a Dundee related magazine. At the end of the interview he asked what I thought of the 'City of Discovery' logo? My response was the verbal equivalent of being caught short with a really bad stomach bug.
He looked really upset and told me that the council had conducted a survey and found that the identity was "very recognisable" I reminded him that the same could be said for other identities like, well lets say... London 2012 (it wasn't though it was more likely an equilateral cross with arms bent at right angles) but that does not mean people like them.
So, a large hole is being dug big enough to fit all those signs that greet the visitors to our city and a new identity is currently developing in a designers brain. Which leaves us to ponder... what will they do?
Well, some info is available. The identity is being developed by The Leith Agency for a paltry £73,087p, it is based on the slogan "Dundee ignites a spark in everyone, encouraging them to embrace all life has to offer"... so it's going to be a spark then! We will have to wait a little longer to find out, it is likely to be unveiled, around July time.
I am quietly excited to see what has been produced, if slightly disappointed that an Edinburgh based agency was needed to brand Dundee. Let's hope it's a DoJ graduate thats working there!
If anyone fancies having a stab at what they think the Dundee logo will or should look like and emailing them to news@creativedundee.com I might start a little gallery going... maybe I will find a prize for the one that is closest to the final result!
Firstly, thank goodness! I cringed with embarrassment every time I saw that awful excuse for a typeface - which looked as though a council worked had typed "Dundee" into word, then just scrolled through all the fonts until he found one he liked.
Secondly - why on earth have Dundee City Council decided to spend 70K on an Edinburgh based agency, when Duncan of Jordanstone has one of the best Graphic Design departments in the country? What a wasted opportunity for a fantastic live brief that would have provided one home grown talent with a showcase folio piece and would have drawn on the talents of people actually living in Dundee.
Glad to know my council tax is being wisely spent.
Posted by: Johanna Basford | April 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM
It's about time! Although picking an Edinburgh company does seem a bit silly.
I think I'll just print up a couple hundred t-shirts with the old logo on it and wait 15 years or so, by which time it will look so dated and crappy that it will become hip, and I'll sell them to indie rockers looking for ironic clothing.
Posted by: Yann Seznec | April 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Firstly yes I am glad that that laughable excuse for a logo is on it's last legs. Secondly it is a great shame that it has gone to the Leith Agency in Edinburgh (always thought they were primarily an advertising agency rather than designers but hey ho!)
On a personal note I currently work for a Dundee agency and we reached the final three solutions for consideration for this rebrand. There was a lot of man time on my part put into this and I'm not ashamed to say I was gutted when we didn't get it. It would have been good to say that the new ident came from a local company, a local designer born and educated in the city who genuinely cares.
Some may say sour grapes...but I am eager to see what is in store for our fair city and I genuinely hope it positions Dundee as the up and coming city it is.
End of rant.
Posted by: Barry Strachan | April 20, 2009 at 08:25 PM
Can you share any of your concepts with us Barry? It would be a shame if they never saw the light of day. I am working on my own little one, just for fun!
Posted by: Lyall | April 20, 2009 at 09:27 PM
Anyone else feel that as Dundee City Council made such a mess of picking the last logo, that they should have put the final 3 concepts in the Courier and let the people pick?? Do you know who the other agency in the running was? Would be good to see if they would release some of their ideas so we could set up a poll and see what the tax payers think...
Posted by: Johanna Basford | April 20, 2009 at 09:44 PM
The other was Whitespace in Edinburgh...even that would have been better as there are a lot of ex DOJers there.
I don't know what the script is with revealing concepts at this stage...I may give some of the CD team a sneaky peak but I'd be uncomfortable putting anything public at this stage. You never know they may have a change of heart...or be beaten into submission by a posse of Dundee creatives.
Posted by: barry | April 20, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Yes it's a shame an Edinburgh co is designing the logo. I also noticed DCA has a website designed in Edinburgh hmmmmm. Poor show, a little confidence in local talent please.
Posted by: Graeme | April 22, 2009 at 02:18 PM
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/reports/reports/590-2008.pdf
Here's the report!
Posted by: Adam | April 22, 2009 at 04:18 PM