Logo Mania

LOGO MANIA

Calm down, folks!

Before you draw your bolos, balisongs, and branding expertise, let us swig a jugful of water, steady our breathing, and for a moment realize that the Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas logo is not up for YOUR approval.

I say this because judging from all the rants and self-appointed redesign proposals, the Central Brank's logo unveiling is such a catastrophic upheaval that merits riots on the streets.

Milliseconds into the new logo being floated online, curious friends, fellow designers, and concerned taxpayers who belong in my Facebook network flooded my inbox with a monosyllabic inquiry: "Thoughts?"

Tempting as it may be, I bit my tongue, delayed my response, and tried to look for context. Branding is at the core of what I do professionally. And close to three decades of design practice have taught me that taking a single logo at face value (with a subjective gut-reaction) can sometimes be a form of a disservice when it comes to identity work.

The first few questions that spring to mind are: What was the brief? What were the parameters (non-negotiables, allowable)? What were the goals and drivers of the redesign? Who are the stakeholders responsible for its approval, and what was the vision based on the logo design?

No substantial information is given yet. I eagerly hope that we will have a window into these things and the process that leads to this solution.

Going back into the "Thoughts?" question, I will reserve these for our own studio's internal design discussions. I am not a wuss. If you must know, let me explain:

01. PROFESSIONAL COURTESY. As I grow old in this industry, I have learned the painful way that creative arrogance is the province of young designers/consultants with so much still to prove. Trust me; I am not exempt from this inclination to assert my capabilities in my younger, fumbling years. We can also be honest and accept that for our brilliance to be acknowledged, we require a terrible contrast to pit against our better ideas.

That is a cop-out. You do not measure your worth against lousy design. You pit yourself against impossibly-excellent work to have a real gauge of your capability. Thus far, my most critical learning is: do not shit on other people's hard work - especially if you have no window into how things were done.

02. DECISION MAKERS CAN SKEW OR ALTER A DESIGN'S DIRECTION. Even the most prodigious talent can suffer phenomenally in the hands of insecure, indecisive, or tasteless clients. Most often than not, the designers are blamed or take responsibility for an irresponsible client's misstep. On the flip side, the most open and trusting clients can be prone to the persuasive advice of charlatans and dilettantes.

03. THE DECISION IS FINAL. We can complain loudly, demonstrate better designs, but the decision-makers have embraced the logo. We may look and sound clever or savvy online but the compounded amount of time making swipes and doing experimental design should have been better used chasing after worthwhile projects and clients.

04. CRUCIALLY: WHY WOULD A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL OFFER ANALYSIS AND OPINIONS FOR FREE? The BSP logo designer got paid a salary (if done in-house), or consultancy fee (if commissioned), and you are not. Why would you volunteer to fix someone's mistake for nothing? Why would you allow people to freeload on sound ideas and give obscene budgets to the dubious ones to do the job? Let the one who made the mess undo the damage and not use the uproar as a focus group and crowdsourcing strategy. Don't flick the patriotism card, this is a BSP business decision and not defending sovereignty.

"But," you may argue, "the money came from our taxes, and we DESERVE better!"

True. Then demand accountability, clarification, and context, and hopefully, they hold water. If not, you can mobilize a petition. The Gap and Tropicana have folded against consumer revolt against redesigns in the past.

However, in the local arena, I am not too hopeful. Remember The PhP80 Million "Buhay Carinderia" rebranding fiasco of the elegant Madrid Fusion event? How about the plagiarism accusations riddling the Pilipinas Kay Ganda brand design?

Logos (except icons like Coca-Cola that got tweaked over the decades but remained looking the same) eventually change. There are hosts of drivers for this to happen: a) reputational issues (Philip Morris to Altria, Andersen Consulting to Accenture), b) shift in business (Aboitiz Logistics to 2GO shifting from B2B to B2C; ditto Federal Express to FedEx) c) mergers and acquisitions (PCI-Equitable-Banco De Oro-Monte de Piedad to BDO), and d) evolving with the times (RCBC, BPI, and UnionBank have all recently rebranded. These changes are deliberate, and the design should reflect the current realities, goals, ambitions, and strategic directions.

Is this true with the BSP logo? Many sound minds think otherwise.

Then there's the PhP52 Million price tag associated with the BSP logo that steams people to no end. To the uninitiated with the branding process, this amount is not for logo design alone. Strategy, applications (signages, letterheads, uniforms, physical assets, etc.), promotion, communications are but a few of the things that need budget earmarking. (Edit: BSP denies spending millions on the logo)

That's why I always advise clients: get your branding RIGHT THE FIRST TIME because any mistake will be expensive to undo. This instance is where the wisdom rings clear: If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur.

Finally, "The design has MANY faults!" you might add. Again, true. I have identified numerous application and legibility issues, and possible elements that can be redone to salvage this logo. I mentioned to a friend: "I am curious how this detailed logo will be applied clearly on a 25 centavo coin. Or a website / social media favicon."

I doubt the decision-makers will pay heed to these valid outcries at this time. All we can do is wait for the full brand launch, and we will have more details and more solid arguments to make. If the BSP Powers That Be see the merits of counterarguments against the logo, they will always have the welcome option to pick up the phone and give seasoned brand professionals a call.

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#branding #logo #design #BangkoSentralNgPilipinas