AAD610 – Brand Awareness Activity

 

1. The first logo is for an organization that I helped get started.

Local First

Local First is an alliance of locally-owned, independent businesses based in Durango, Colorado. It serves La Plata County, which sits at six thousand feet between the mountains and the desert. The outdoors is a huge part of life in Durango and this logo pictures a cairn, or trailmarker, that almost anyone in the area will recognize. Cairns are used when people get off trail and are trying to find their way in open country. The organization works to point the way toward a new economic model, based on cooperation, sustainability, and the community’s quality of life.  Given this as a mission, we really liked the connotation of the logo. We decided to add the gold stone to suggest the wealth that we wanted to generate. Multiple meetings, we made decisions by consensus, were required to get it right. We also discussed it’s use in collateral material and the ability for the logo to shrink down for business cards. The main use of the logo is on a window sticker that all members put up to show they are local. We also discussed the potential to color the stones for use in different campaigns.  That happened with the Eat Local Celebration that takes place in September.

 

2. San Juan Citizen’s Alliance

This is an environmental advocacy group also based in Durango, Colorado that works to protect rivers, forests, deserts, and canyons. I normally think this whimsical style is too busy to effectively communicate an idea. But in this case, I think it works. My eye first goes to the spiral in the sun at the top, then to the tree and then swoops down the left arm of the person to the head. This clear sequence helps my unconsciously navigate what might seem chaotic. The stylized figure suggests enthusiasm and triumph and ultimately strength. The width of the figure also makes the power of the individual standing up (against oil companies, government, etc.) seem powerful. This organization is scrappy and so the frenetic quality of the image gives off the personality of the group. There are also subtle touches that speak to the community. Durango is near Canyonlands and so the arcs and arches, as well as the color scheme, suggest the canyons and arches of that landscape. It also works geographically as the mountain is at the top of the image and then you move down south into the desert arches that in the image make up the two legs of the figure. The color scheme works with the landscape as well.  Notice how they used gold to call out “Citizens” in their name. This logo does not work so well for small things such as business cards. There are too many elements. The sun would be so small that it’s hard to recognize.  But in a small community, where people know the alliance and its work, this is less of an issue.

 

3. Los Angles County Bicycle Coalition

http://lacbc.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/blog-banner-1-copy.jpg

This is a grassroots bicycle advocacy group, another scrappy organization. Here is the logo image of the sprockets growing into sun beams is a really effective image, especially in Los Angeles. It associates biking with health and growth and warmth.  It also suggests renewable energy, which is essential for an organization that relies heavily on volunteers. The simple square design gives the logo all kinds of versatility. It can easily be re-sized and manipulated in a variety of ways. You can’t see this against the white backdrop but they have “LACBC” under the logo in this treatment, which is likely how it reproduces on business cards.

http://la-bike.org/sites/all/themes/shinysprocket/images/LACBC_standard_black_scaled.png

This is a new logo for LACBC. The old one was a silhouette of cyclist on a trail. It was generic and uninspiring. Here is what it looks like on a membership card. This is a great group and I’m glad to see them developing an effective brand.

 

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