{"id":54670,"date":"2014-02-27T13:44:08","date_gmt":"2014-02-27T11:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=54670"},"modified":"2014-03-01T10:34:26","modified_gmt":"2014-03-01T08:34:26","slug":"new-city-of-cape-town-logo-yellowwood-agency-creative-spin-lacks-credibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/new-city-of-cape-town-logo-yellowwood-agency-creative-spin-lacks-credibility\/","title":{"rendered":"New City of Cape Town logo: Yellowwood agency creative spin lacks credibility!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"City<\/a>The Brand Strategy Consultancy Yellowwood, part of the KIng James Group and \u00a0TBWA\\Worldwide, is back-pedaling and presenting an implausible creative spin in the justification for its severely disliked new logo for the City of Cape Town.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

David Blyth, Group Managing Director of Yellowwood, explains the elements of the logo design, for which work commenced in the agency on 6 January and on which 140 hours was spent. \u00a0Interesting is to read the website, which informs that the focus of Yellowwood is to ‘build valuable brands for ambitious businesses<\/em>‘, hardly a description of the City of Cape Town! \u00a0From its list of services offered, it sounds more like a brand development consultancy than an ad agency, which is how the local media have described it. \u00a0One can be pretty certain that Yellowwood did not write the strategy, and that it was presented with an ‘academic’ document which had to be translated into a logo!<\/p>\n

The Yellowwood website states that the consultancy links its client businesses to their brands via marketing strategy, brand strategy, research insights (which appear to be lacking, no Capetonians having been interviewed for the strategy input nor about the appeal of the logo), data analytics, and strategic design solutions. \u00a0In its Design section, which appears to be a lesser service, being last on its list of services, it states that its designs are based on ‘strategic insight’<\/em>. \u00a0Clearly the logo is a failure as Yellowwood was not involved in the strategy! \u00a0Other public sector clients are the Western Cape government (via Carol Avenant, who worked there previously and now works for the City of Cape Town’s Integrated Strategic Communications and Branding department) and Iziko Museums.<\/p>\n

Yellowwood’s justification for its logo design is as follows, as reported in the Cape Argus:<\/strong><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The colours chosen, originally intended to have been those of the South African flag, represent the ‘unique colours of Cape Town<\/em>‘, which are to be found in the Bo-Kaap (the colours in the logo are far more muted than the vibrant colours of the suburb)\u00a0, the ocean, Table Mountain, and the fynbos.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The outward arrow shapes ‘show progress, expansion and opportunity<\/em>‘.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 The visual elements were justified as follows: ‘The circular shape of the logo is an inclusive and approachable form, yet is also has the stability and symmetry required for a reputable institution. Table Mountain was retained as the iconic marker of Cape Town… In order to differentiate it from the thousands of other similar Table Mountain marks and logos, it was abstracted into simple shapes. \u00a0By placing Table Mountain on a circular horizon, we hinted at the forward-looking, future-oriented symbolism of horizons \u2013 they represent progress. \u00a0 By showing the mountain from many different angles, we captured the diversity of Cape Town\u2019s people, views and cultures. The multiple rings of the logo show that Cape Town is a city with many roleplayers, and that together they work to make the city great \u2013 this captures shared responsibility’.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Yellowwood designer of the logo is\u00a0Marios Flourentzou, Yellowwood Creative Director.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interesting is the agency’s response to a question of what the new logo design should achieve. \u00a0In its media justification, the City had stated that it wished to communicate its positioning of ‘Opportunity City’<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a>. \u00a0The agency explanation is as follows: ‘The City of Cape Town had changed their <\/em>\u00a0(sic) strategy, and they<\/em> (sic) required assistance in building a new brand centred on the idea of collaboration and shared responsibility.\u00a0For that reason, the primary objective of the design was to help the city build a reputation for the following things: \u2018opportunity\u2019, \u2018progress\u2019, \u2018shared responsibility\u2019 and \u2018inclusivity\u2019. \u00a0Shifting the strategy from passive citizenship to encouraging active citizenship and collaboration for mutual progress required that we signal this change with a revolution in the identity, not an evolution. We hope to inspire the 3.5 million citizens of Cape Town and the 25 000 employees of the city behind a common goal’.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>No matter how\u00a0Yellowwood spins its City of Cape Town logo design, it is not going down with the ratepayers and residents of Cape Town!<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 27\/2:<\/strong> \u00a0The Council of the City of Cape Town approved the new City of Cape Town logo and pay-off line with a majority at its stormy meeting yesterday. \u00a0Interesting is Mayor Patricia de Lille’s justification of the new logo in saving the City millions, not having been honest about the logo implementation cost. \u00a0She is quoted as saying that it will ‘save millions \u00a0of rands for the ratepayers of this city’,<\/em>\u00a0 as the cost of implementing the logo would have ‘no impact on service delivery’<\/em>, a nonsensical and illogical statement! \u00a0The opposition ANC Councillors have described the new logo as ‘political suicide’<\/em>, and are threatening to seek an interdict against the implementation of the logo, the Cape Argus<\/strong> reports today. \u00a0The implementation would only take place after the General Election.<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 28\/2<\/strong>: \u00a0It was a shock to see the new City of Cape Town logo printed on a World Design Capital 2014 brochure we received at their Gala Dinner this evening, just two days after the logo was approved by Council!<\/p>\n

POSTCRIPT 1\/3: \u00a0Design Week<\/strong> has a d<\/span><\/a>escription of the creative rationale<\/a><\/span> <\/strong><\/em>in its article about the new City of Cape Town logo. \u00a0Interestingly it writes that the King James Group did the communication strategy and will be responsible for the campaign roll-out!<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/strong> <\/a>\u00a0Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Brand Strategy Consultancy Yellowwood, part of the KIng James Group and \u00a0TBWA\\Worldwide, is back-pedaling and presenting an implausible creative spin in the justification for its severely disliked new logo for the City of Cape Town. David Blyth, Group Managing Director of Yellowwood, explains the elements of the logo design, for which work commenced in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,6924,22,516,21],"tags":[695,24097,837,32366,22074,32378,257,16116,8832,13477,24099,1780,12528,4,24098,3141,32373,7120,24070],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t