A project of mine required a comparison of the world’s most well-known sports brand logos. They’re shown together below in case the quick reference might be useful for you.

Adidas — the trefoil logo is still used on the heritage product division

Asics

Champion

Diadora

Ellesse

Fila

Head

K-Swiss

Lacoste

Lotto Sport Italia

Mitre

Mizuno

New Balance

Nike — 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, modified in 1978 and 1985 by Nike

Prince

Puma

Rbk — designed in 2001 by Arnell Group

Russell Corporation

Umbro — view the Umbro logo evolution

Wilson

Should you know the name of the designer responsible, or the year of creation, I’d very much appreciate you leaving details in a comment.

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Today saw the launch of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games logo.

Glasgow design agency Marque is responsible for the identity design project, said to have cost £95,000. This fee covers such elements as brand guidelines, animated work, visual language, typography, photographic style, and art direction.

Developing a specific logo for the event is a requirement made by the the Commonwealth Games Federation as part of the contract for hosting the games.

Having a logo allows the organisers the best possible chance to earn additional revenue because they can sell the use of the design to sponsors.

The horizontal bar and emblem at the foot of the logo are required elements, and you’ll see them used in designs for other recent Commonwealth Games (Delhi 2010 for example).

About the design, from the Glasgow 2014 website:

1. The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be the 20th Games. This is a landmark number that adds to Glasgow’s pride in being its host. The outer ring, that encompasses the others, is a strong, vibrant red — the official “True Red” of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) palette.
2. There will be 17 sports on the programme at Glasgow 2014. The next ring of the brand identity, in “Triumph Yellow” from the CGF palette, represents the number of sports. It’s exactly 17/20ths of the full circle.
3. Glasgow 2014 will host 11 days of competition, which are represented in the third ring of the brand identity, rendered in the CGF’s “Heritage blue”, and making up 11/20ths of the circle.
4. At the heart of our brand identity is 1 Host City, represented by “G” for Glasgow, meaning “Dear Green Place” in Gaelic, and is in a suitably vibrant green.

Mark Noe, Managing Director of Marque said:

“We are privileged to have had the opportunity to create the brand identity for such a significant event as the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The identity is one which is grounded in integrity and design rigour and we are proud of the legacy that it will leave behind for Glasgow and Scotland. We hope that the identity will become an iconic symbol celebrating a very special moment in time – and will become synonymous with quality, achievement and vision.”

You can view a short digital animation of the logo here.

In the embedded YouTube video below you’ll see John Donnelly, director of marketing and sponsorship for the Games, talking to The Drum about the process of designing the identity, the appointment procedure and explaining how it will be used to promote and market Glasgow’s event over the course of the next four years.

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The Logorama movie is a short animation by H5. It has been nominated won at the 2010 Oscars in the short film category. Full movie below.

In a world made up entirely of trademarks and brand names, Michelin Man cops pursue a criminal Ronald McDonald.

“Spectacular car chases, an intense hostage crisis, wild animals rampaging through the city… and even more in LOGORAMA!”

All 16 minutes (taking an incredible six years to make) are shown in the embedded video panel below.

Best viewed full-screen. Contains profanity.

Logorama on IMDB. Via @debbiemillman (thanks!).

Update: 08 March 2010
Watch the Oscar acceptance speech.

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Paula Scher guest authored on Tony Spaeth’s Identity Forum with a great piece titled: What they don’t teach you about identity design in design schools… …And what you can’t learn from blogs.

“I never knew a designer that got hundreds of thousands of dollars to design a logo. Mostly, designers get paid to negotiate the difficult terrain of individual egos, expectations, tastes, and aspirations of various individuals in an organization or corporation, against business needs, and constraints of the marketplace.

[...]

“The designer needs to be ever present because, inevitably, at some side meeting, something will be suggested that will totally destroy the form of the logo. Something can be suggested innocently, with the best of intentions, that will scuttle all plans, compromise all standards, and destroy the integrity of the design. The only person who can know this and stop this is the designer.”
Paula Scher

Read the full article on Identity Forum.

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7×7 – Future Focus was the fourth in a series of lectures from the Design Institute of Australia, held during The Melbourne Design Festival in 2009. Luminaries from seven design disciplines presented their top seven future industry trends and predictions to an audience of creatives from all design sectors.

The visual identity, created by Landor’s Sydney office, reflected the idea of looking beyond the obvious, to seeing more than is immediately visible, and reading between the lines.

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In this post, Blair Thomson of Devon-based agency biz-R takes time-out to interview Belgian-born “Lord of the Logos,” Christophe Szpajdel (pronounced “shpydel”). There’s also a chance for you to win a signed copy of Szpajdel’s book.

The style of design featured is part of a small niche, and different to the normal posts here on Logo Design Love. But it’s also very recognisable within its field, and the same rules of branding apply — simply at the other extreme (like the music it represents). Szpajdel’s illustration skills are also adaptable to more mainstream graphics work and could cross over into many other areas of design.

At what age did you first become interested in logos?

My interest in logos came at the age of seven when I saw the Kiss logo. That was back in 1977, and is what sparked my creativity for logo making.

I also particularly liked the logos of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. It was at the age of 17, however, when I really became fascinated by designs such as those for Venom, Kreator, King Diamond, and Possessed.

Were you interested in drawing and this developed into logos, or did you always like branding?

I’ve always found something fascinating about logos, especially the Art Nouveau and Art Deco logos from the beginning of last century. These were the most amazing gems. Have you seen such beautiful brand logos like Tropon for example? I think Art Nouveau and nature were always to be associated as one, and the first thing I started to draw were plants and animals. Art Nouveau is itself the cult of nature.

Do you admire logo and identity design from outside of the metal world that you have become infamous?

Some product brand logos can be cool, like Relentless, for example. Even today this logo still fascinates me. I’m also very keen on some of the variations of the Animal, Billabong, and Warlord clothing logos.

I actually create quite a bunch of non-metal logos like the CRAS logo, a Tulsa based society that projects old forgotten gem movies from the 20’s to the 40’s. I designed several personal brand logos for people such as Dawn Hemsley, Deborah Dean, Pamela Smith, Vicky Sanchez, Maxine Ridd, and Paula Whitfield, and also illustrated for Paula Whitfield’s book The Repertoire of Delusions.

So yes, I explored identity design outside the metal world and it worked even better because non-metal clients were unfamiliar to the existence of this world. At some point, since creating my account on Facebook, I realized there was a completely new public gaining interest in world yet unknown to them — the world of logos.

How do most of your clients find you?

They mostly find me by word of mouth, but there was a massive increase of interest since i joined Facebook, and since I was interviewed in such magazines as VICE, Metal Hammer, Metal Maniacs, and Terrorizer. That made my name reach even more secluded circles of interests that I would never have thought of before. The Internet had a massive impact.

What is your favourite self-created logo?

It’s hard to pick just one favorite, so I’ll mention a couple of favorites from each style. Emperor and Abigail Williams among the classics, Morgawr and Anamorph among the Art Nouveau ones, Deborah Dean and Disciples Of The Watch for the Art Deco feel, Wolves In The Throne Room and Chasma for the Deressiv’Moderne current, The Obliterate Plague for its simplicity and efficiency, Samantha Byrne for the enigmatic pose with came as a doppelganger of the Glorior Belli logo created by Valnoir Artfield de Lautrec.

What logo do you wish you had created?

I wish i could have created the logo of Dragged Into Sunlight, since this is my absolute to favorite band and my absolute favorite logo, but I designed a logo for his other project, Ninkharsag, which is in my book. Other logos I wish I had created are Demoncy (USBM heroes), Sarcofago, Mutilator Immolith, Venom, Shores Of Melancholy, Burning Of Sodom. I never had the chance to get hold of any of these bands that inspired my creativity with their amazing music.

Your work is extremely detailed. How long would a typical design take?

It takes a minimum of two weeks and can last up to six weeks or more. It depends if it’s a complicated logo, and if the client requires lots of changes, as was the case with Seize The Soul, Namter, Animus Mortis, The Wounded Kings — all very fussy clients. I would actually rate them as “Clients From Hell” because they truly are! I am also a very meticulous person, paying attention to every detail.

I understand that you recently created a logo for Really Interesting Group (aka RIG), who designer and blogger Ben Terrett operates. How did this compare to working with musicians?

Image credit: Noisy Decent Graphics

Actually, that was something very simple, i never thought it would be for a group. I first thought it was for a band called RIG and thought oil rig. I asked Ben Terrett for as much detail as possible and he was fairly laconic in what he wanted. I digged a bit more and found out he loves AC/DC as lettering, so i created a very simple logo. After that, I got a lot of interest, and this is how i met you, Blair, and even more interesting is that you just live next door to me! How cool is that?

Working with musicians generally takes me longer and requires me to come up with more changes during the run of the work. I often have to give further cracks on logos, and as I’m telling you all this, I’m working on a fourth logo for “client from hell,” The Wounded Kings.

What inspires you?

Mostly and primarily, I am inspired by nature, but over the last decade, I opened my interest to art, especially Art Nouveau for its flowing motives, and Art Deco/Modernism for its geometry. Anger is something that helps me in coming up with a great logo for an aggressive metal band.

The tranquility of shorelines gave me inspiration to create some flowing logos that needed a more relaxed state of mind.

Tell us about the book — how did that come about?

Gestalten have produced some beautiful books on logo design. In march last year, after the interview I gave to VICE (yes, they have been taking the mick out of me, but great, they turned me into a weirdo) and the feature in the Compendium “Logos from Hell” by Mark Riddick, I got approached by Hendrik Hellige whom I met in Berlin by the end of May. Then in June, the big boss of Gestalten, Julian Sorge, concluded the contract and in September I supplied all my logos.

In October I created the logo for the cover, and finally, at the end of January the book was released. I didn’t interfere at any time with the process of assembling the book, as I gave Gestalten my full trust. They did a wonderful job juxtaposing the photos I took in different parts of the world (mostly Whiskey Town Lake in Northern California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Dartmoor, and the Southwest Coast Path in Devon).

The result is amazing and I am more than delighted with the work of Gestalten. Finally I can regard this book as my child. It really is a part of me.

Do you have any advice for budding logo designers — metal or otherwise?

It is better to specialize yourself in something you really feel for. Try to find as many inspirational surroundings as possible to unleash your creativity. That is something that also applies to artists who want to reach the general public as well the metal public.

Win a signed copy of Szpajdel’s book Lord of the Logos

From the Gestalten website:

This book is a collection of work by Christophe Szpajdel, an artist whose fans in the underground black metal community worship him as the Lord of the Logos. It includes hundreds of powerful logos, each of which captures the force of this musical genre anew. Through his surprising use of aesthetic influences such as art deco and nature, Szpajdel has brought a new dynamic into the gothic visuality of heavy metal. This publication, which is done in the style of a black prayerbook, shows not only how he has succeeded in leaving his own visual mark on this music, but how he has also expanded the canon of forms it uses.

Release: January 2010
Price: € 35,00 / $ 55,00 / £ 32,50
Format: 21 × 26 cm
Features: 272 pages, full color, softcover, gold embossing
ISBN: 978-3-89955-282-9

To enter the draw, leave a comment naming someone you want to see interviewed on Logo Design Love. One commenter will be chosen randomly on Friday 26th February, notified by email, and posted here.

Update: Friday 26th February
The randomly drawn winner is Alicia Viera. Congratulations! You’ve been sent an email with details on how to collect.

Thanks very much to Blair Thomson for conducting the interview, and to Christophe Szpajdel for taking part.

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Patrick King of the TypographyShop has kindly offered 10 lucky Logo Design Love readers a free “Make the Logo Smaller” t-shirt.

The type is set in Neuzeit S, a 1966 geometric-grotesque hybrid redesign of Wilhelm C. Pischner’s Neuzeit Grotesk, originally designed in 1928.

There are two styles available, with the logo large, and small, and you can choose your size, sex, and whether you want a black or white tee.

For entry into the random draw, simply leave a comment answering the following question:

Why did you become a graphic designer?

10 commenters will be drawn and emailed on Wednesday 24th February, and I’ll update this post with the names.

Update: 24 February 2010
The t-shirt winners have all been sent an email with information on how to collect. The winning names are as follows:

1. Tim B
2. Jukka Lariola
3. Joao Pereira
4. Sarah
5. Ahmed
6. Kosta Atzemis
7. Jackie
8. Debbie
9. Enrique Mendoza
10. Lee

The third-year students on Kingston’s Graphic Design and Photography degree recently answered the same question.

Good luck, and thanks again to Patrick King. Be sure to check out the rest of his design-related clothing, including a tasty Helvetica Neue hoodie.

But if making the logo smaller isn’t for you, there’s a cream for that.

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What are the most iconic logos you can think of?

Coca Cola? IBM? I Love New York? Shell?

These designs have one thing in common: a huge marketing spend.

Can we create a truly iconic logo without the backing of a very fat wallet?

Something I was thinking about earlier.

Shell logo by Raymond Loewy, 1971.

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The roundel first appeared on Underground station platforms in 1908. The bar and circle, as it became known, comprised a solid red enamel disc and horizontal blue bar. These early roundels, framed with timber mouldings, were introduced as station nameboards. The new device gave prominence to the name of the station, and helped passengers distinguish it from surrounding commercial advertising.

In 1913 the Underground’s publicity manager, Frank Pick, commissioned the typographer Edward Johnston to design a company typeface. By 1917 the proportions of the roundel had been reworked to suit the new lettering and incorporate the Underground logotype. The solid red disc became a circle, and the new symbol was registered as a trademark.

Section of an anonymous poster, 1920

Drawing of proportions for Johnston’s roundel, circa 1925

Photograph from The Guardian

Over 100 years, the roundel has become the unifying symbol for London’s transport services, and is widely recognised as a London icon.

By James Ireland

London Underground Roundel mentions elsewhere

• History of the roundel, on London Transport Museum
• Symbol of life in modern London, on guardian.co.uk
• 100 years of the roundel, on London Transport Museum
• 100 Years of the Roundel, on CR Blog
• Roundel, on Wikipedia
• 100 artists celebrate 100 years of Tube logo, on Transport for London

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“So we looked at the history, the people, and this place for inspiration. Digging through the museum’s artifacts, we found this map of William Penn’s original plan for the city.

“It was a tight, orderly grid with interspersed parks — Penn’s vision was for a “Greene Country Towne.” That street plan still exists in what is now called Center City between Vine and South Streets.

“So the project’s designer, Adam Garcia, began sketching versions of Philadelphia’s grid.

“We all liked this hand drawn version, as it echoed Penn’s original map while also containing the slight imperfections that make Philadelphia so unique and interesting. The final piece was adding type. And just like Philadelphia itself, that confining grid ended up giving the logo its distinctive character. Here’s the final product:”

Read a more detailed explanation on the 160over90 blog, or you can view the case study in 160over90’s online portfolio.

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