The question of redesigning the current LP logo, dubbed by some “Darth Liberty,” has come up on both the LNC and Design for Liberty facebook group (LP volunteers). The latter group has come up with a large number of designs. The LNC is considering hiring a company called 99 designs.
I have not seen either the LNC or the design for liberty group say how the ideas will get winnowed down to finalists or who will make the final decision (LNC? Convention delegates?), when (Next LNC meeting? Next national convention? Email vote?) or how. And I have not seen any link provided to have the LNC look at the ideas that have been proposed in the design for liberty group or the discussion that generated them.
Both groups have discussed idea ranging from a slightly different Statue of Liberty logo to a completely different design.
I actually agree, the prior logo was not as bad.
The prior statue of liberty, blue, was much prettier.
The side of the liberty bell carved into the L is pretty clever. He has some other good ones too.
I don’t like that yellow L thing, to me anyway it seems ugly, tacky, and does not compel a feeling of liberty/freedom. I’d rather they just update the current logo, adopt LP the Penguin, or readopt the Libersign (TANSTAAFL Bitches!!!).
I tried to add you the other day and for some reason your name would not bring up your facebook page in the invite box. Not sure if Matt is keeping up with this. You can find him at https://www.facebook.com/swampmatt
Matt Hasty, if you’re reading this, I’d appreciate you or one of the other host/admins of the Design for Liberty group adding me. I’ve tried to check out the group before, and both times clicked “join” upon finding out it was closed, but no one has added me.
I tend to agree with Michael Wilson (January 6, 2014 at 8:34 pm) that we should look first at the efforts of those Libertarians volunteering to work on a new logo for the party. It’s simply not true that paying a high price always automatically gets you a better product. I’ve also disagreed with several of my colleagues on the Libertarian National Committee that we should buy one of the higher-priced packages at the Design for Liberty site. Since that site lets you look at different options without paying anything, I see no reason why we shouldn’t first look at their inexpensive options before looking at the expensive ones. But even before that, I think we ought to look at what our own folks are doing.
That being said, I’m not a fan of using just a big letter L, as Ben Requena proposes above, although his design is certainly well presented. Building the word “Libertarians” into the design isn’t a bad idea though.
From Ben Requena’s file:
Don’t know how I missed this discussion. I created the current logo for the reasons someone described above. We needed something that was easily adaptable for state parties and more importantly, we needed a recognizable color. The old LP color was some burnt orange scheme. When a television producer called one day asking what color they should use to represent our candidates (R’s red, D’s blue, etc.) I went with gold as I was too embarrassed to say, “some ugly orange color.”
I’ve always been mixed on the face but went with it as it’s memorable. The Statue of Liberty is the appropriate symbol of our party yet if you attend any pro-liberty conference, just about every organization uses the Statue of Liberty.
In designing a logo, it’s good to use the grocery isle analogy. If you walk down an isle with similar products, you’re going to go with the brand that stands out and is memorable. In a sea of Ladies Liberty, does ours stand out? I’d say so. Same for when the logo is printed on the ballot next to a donkey and an elephant — a strong symbol was needed, even a defiant one.
I think it’s due for an update but not a complete change. I’d feel sorry for the folks who actually tattooed it on their skin. As for a recommendation to spend $100k on a new logo, that’s freaking ridiculous.
Robert was actually right about the dark tone. I think I told a supporter who brought up the featureless face, “when things start looking up for the LP and we win some elections, I’ll give her some eyes.”
The founding date is hidden in the logo — 1971 is part of that. Nolan appreciated it.
The original logo had a truer blue. A few years ago someone went against the style guide and gave it a darker, more purple hue.
Times change and logos change but logos don’t build brands. Differentiation and unique selling points contribute far more to the “brand” than an image ever can.
The LNC can quickly update the logo at very little cost and focus on the bigger picture of electing Libertarians to office.
As is, they are rearranging deck chairs . . .
Ben Requena does good work, check out his link…
Guys, our logo is the ugliest thing our party has. I’m 34 years old and for me it looks archaic – something that 70 year old seniors may like (I’m sorry if someone gets offended) but youth definitely will not. We are party of the future, not past and our logo should be up to date, not something back to 70-es. Everything wrong there and I was surprised first time I saw it. Logo and branding very important – it’s very hard to convince people that we are not a bunch of people lost in the past.
Thanks Ben. I should warn anyone else from Design for Liberty that has not commented at IPR before that the owners have set it so anyone who is leaving their first comment ever at IPR or any comment with two or more links is held for moderation. I can and do approve those comments, but I no longer have the ability to change that setting.
I am one of the many volunteer designers in the Design for Liberty group.
I’ve been working on a refreshed identity for the Libertarian Party which you can see at the url below.
https://www.behance.net/gallery/Libertarian-Party-Brand-Refresh/13616303
I agree that this is an important opportunity and shouldn’t just be about a logo. This is an opportunity to refresh the entire identity system, from website to cuff-links.
Best,
Ben
Just my opinion. What good is a brilliant message if it’s spoken in a language that few understand?
Ya lichno ni znayu.
RE: Penguin and Porcupine logos – they are great, and make fantastic CASUAL ICONS in the same way that the GOP elephant and DNC donkey are. But both parties still run with fresh, modern styling to their overall image and formal logo, and that is what we are competing with. We need to be on the same playing field.
Hi, I’m one of the hosts/admins of the Design for Liberty facebook group, and it’s a closed group to give it some level of privacy, although I freely accept almost anyone who asks to join the group. Every 60 days or so, we go thru the group’s member list and delete anyone who doesn’t contribute. This helps keep the number of spectators down.
I’m happy to see something being done, and work progressing. To the people who feel a new logo is a low priority, if it was just the logo you’d be right, but I believe this should be an entire image makeover and be the start of an active PR/advertising campaign. To the intellectual, image is superficial, but to the common man, image is reality. And to paraphrase Gene Burns: “if we’re not careful, we will become nothing more than archeologists, telling the story of what happened while we were intellectualizing”.
The bottom line is votes. And the common men of this world outnumber the intellectual men of this world. So it’s not our task to decide what is best, but also to convince the rest of the world to support our ideas. We do that by speaking the language they understand, and that is an emotional and visual language.
Just my opinion. What good is a brilliant message if it’s spoken in a language that few understand?
Matt.
I’ve brought up that option. No one really said anything about it, except that Visek said she does not think it should be any kind of animal, but no reason why.
I wonder why they just don’t officially adopt that LP Penguin as the official logo. At least it’s different. http://www.thecreativefactory.com/Libertypenguin/LibertyPenguin.html
True. More people should join, but I think it is intentionally closed so design ideas can be worked on before being presented. I would open it up if it were up to me though.
It should be noted that Design for Liberty is a “closed group” meaning that anyone not a member of the group can not see what is posted in the group
I made that point to LNC. Arvin wrote back “Those who have designed logos in Design for LIberty should be able to submit those to the contest, in my view.”
I see you are commenting over at Designs for Liberty. It would be nice if the LNC paid attention to their work. I seems a bit rude for people to do that work for free and then have it ignored. I have had that experience in the LP and it is what discourages people. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DesignforLiberty/
99 designs has several plans which have different price levels and you get different things for each one: http://99designs.com/pricing
Well I hate to show my ignorance but what is the platinum plan?
Norm Olsen writes
“Vicki Kirkland related that LPNY at one time tried to use the Empire State Building, but people thought it was a hypodermic syringe.”
That was back when the LPNY was the “Free Libertarian Party”. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/PartyDetail.html?PartyID=1804
ROFL.
Bring back the Libersign, TANSTAAFL FOREVER!!!!
The LPTX is much better.
Purple and gold is still less impressive than dark green on gold, the statue being green, but to each their own.
The Texas logo with some facial features showing has a nice appeal. The present one with the facial features shadowed is poor and unappealing. It could be redone and without costing an arm and a leg.
Seeing that we are flush with cash, and have to spend it somewhere…we should get a bus and a plane too. Maybe some gold bracelets…and if we have anything left…all the cool kids are getting gold “grillz” for their teeth…that would be a really cool brand. Or…maybe we should focus on getting ballot access in the last two states, find a way to get into the debates during the 2016 cycle and leave tricked out logos for another time? Sorry for the sarcasm…but in NV we are reaffiliating counties, organizing Sheriff debates, trying to get 25 candidates to run statewide and cleansing data from the SOS and national that is costing a fortune…I don’t see where National has time or money to discuss this. But that is just my opinion, which is different than many others whom I respect and admire…just can’t agree with. If it were up to me right now…I would put a front/back picture of a gun sight…with the caption “Pick a side, we’re at war”.
As I recall from when the current logo was rolled out, the two goals were (a) to modernize the existing logo, which had a 90s feel and typography and (b) to make the logo easier to copy/print by reducing the face detail on the statue.
The previous logo: http://www.wordsoffreedom.com/images/Candidates/LibertarianLogo.jpg
From a quick google image search, it appears that the redesigned current logo has replace the older one almost everywhere and it lends itself to state personalization more than the previous design. See, e.g., Colorado ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Libertarian_Party_of_Colorado_%28logo%29.svg ) and Texas ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Libertarian_Party_of_Texas_logo.jpg ). The outside circle is also easily customizable for county or regional affiliates, such as Dekalb County (http://bludgeonandskewer.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html ) or El Paso County ( http://lpepc.org/agenda-annual-convention-2013/ ).
The current logo could probably be improved, but I would want it to be a significant improvement, since rebranding is not free and the the current logo is widespread and recognizable.
I don’t have a problem with 1971, although I don’t care about it either. The shadow is just hideous, and I don’t think it’s clever.
On second thought, the shadowed face may be clever, subliminal suggestion: “Liberty is being lost”.
[Now, as any good Rothbardian will tell you, liberty was never had so it can’t be lost. Liberty (read: anarchy) is all or nothing.]
Despite that critique, I think the shadow works. It’s certainly not a barfer.
Lose the 1971, though…
Arvin Vohra on LNC list:
> “Communication isn’t a waste of time. It’s how you reach the masses. Communists and rising Dictator’s know this. Why don’t you?”
Wasting resources on a redesign of a logo that is perfectly fine is idiotic, like referring to people as “the masses”!
It’s pretty generic. Nowadays all kinds of people use it, such as tax accountants and insurance salespeople.
Statue is positive association, esp for those who don’t get that L = liberty.
Shadowed face seems suboptimal, but not worth a redesign.
Lose the 1971….serves no purpose that I can see.
I think the obscured face of the statue is not so good, and I like some of the ideas such as the porcupine, but a better statue would be fine. Change for the sake of change is not smart, it should be well thought out and I don’t believe it is urgent.
Also, I don’t remember all the details but a friend told me at one point the LPNY ballot symbol was a hand, which ended up being printed in black on the ballot and/or in the voter pamphlet, along with a candidate who had an Italian last name, leading people to make the association with the “black hand” of the mafia.
In Iowa, most people that I talk to know what the Libertarian Party is. Our problem is organization and advertising, but not a logo.
Paulie, that is terrible. I am glad we eliminated that.
The original logo of the LP:
Not sure exactly when it became the statue.
Vicki Kirkland related that LPNY at one time tried to use the Empire State Building, but people thought it was a hypodermic syringe.
Only very large companies are able to achieve logo recognition. McDonalds did. Sirius Radio and Altria, while both large companies, have not. If logo recognition is our goal I am afraid we will never be successful at it. Additionally, I think we often use the terms branding and marketing incorrectly.
Most companies make minor modifications to their logo as times change, but they rarely throw out their original logo.
Speaking of change, does anyone remember New Coke?
The statue of liberty should be holding a gun to her own head. That would be truthful advertising for the LP.
The logo is fine. Advertising is what is needed.
A different opinion from Brett Pojunis on LNC list:
It looks fine. Leave it alone.
Logo redesign is something that should be done as infrequently as is reasonably possible. Great brands almost never change logos. Doing so is the opposite of smart marketing.
Occasionally, it becomes necessary to change outdated looking logos. However, that doesn’t apply in this case, as the logo looks sufficiently modern. When it does become necessary to modernize, it is typical to try and maintain the general look and feel of the existing logo, so that it is obvious to anyone who sees it that it is the same brand. So, if the LP does make the mistake of changing the logo, it damn sure should NOT be completely redesigned, unless we are looking to do a total “rebirth of the LP” or “not your father’s LP” type of marketing campaign to go with it.
“Communication isn’t a waste of time. It’s how you reach the masses. Communists and rising Dictator’s know this. Why don’t you?”
Redesigning a logo that looks perfectly fine, possibly spending money on a company to redesign it, is a waste of resources. Spending money on buildings instead of candidates & advertising is a waste of resources. The Libertarian Party is ridiculously wasteful, wasting time on petty arguments & spending money on frivolities instead of working to spread our message & get candidates elected. And now we’re worried about a logo. Good lord.
Ditto Chuck and Stewart. People might just be discovering and recognizing the logo.
I agree with Chuck. We have more pressing issues right now.
This logo is less than 10 years old. I don’t think it’s worth revamping unless it is in conjunction with a complete website overhaul / branding strategy — and I think a project that drastic and expensive should wait until after the building purchase / HQ move.
There is already a logo version available removing the shadows on the liberty face.
The purple thing is ugly as sin. Consider instead as a starting point for a color scheme
http://lpmass.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Newsletter_201203.pdf
Communication isn’t a waste of time. It’s how you reach the masses. Communists and rising Dictator’s know this. Why don’t you?
Unnecessary waste of time & resources.