Yes, shockingly I don’t like this new campaign by the Calgary Public Library. The message is good, “Everything you’re into.”, whatever you like you can find a book or movie or whatever about that topic at the library. That works. It’s just the execution and look of this campaign that’s absolutely terrible.

This ad should be targeting people who currently are not using the library, young people…it should be hip and cool, bold…maybe even clever or funny. It should attempt to draw a new audience to this aging institution, and draw more attention to the modern offerings of todays library (public internet access, free programs). It could maybe even leverage some popular young adult library content like Twilight. It should not appeal to your 75 year old great aunt with it’s soft watercolor tones and bad script typefaces. Those are the people who already use libraries (in between attending craft bazaars at their local community centres)!

There were some aspects of this campaign that were good, they did buy some ad space in supermarkets and shopping carts that ran with messaging that juxtaposed food items with literary offerings (Everything you’re into. From cream pie recipes to Curious George. From ham to Hamlet). That’s probably a pretty good way to grab a captive audience in the produce section. But still, something with a better look would be far more effective.

Misguided attempt at an ad campaign aside, I’m still a huge advocate of the library. $12 for a year of borrowing privileges is the best entertainment dollar you can spend in this town. So I won’t be shamefully turning in my library card just yet. But next time around I hope they better spend their $35,000 on a decent rebranding…hopefully something I could get into.

If anyone knows who did this let me know so I can offer them my props. Much better use of my tax dollars for logo design than the new provincial mark.

Image credit: Brand New.

Milwaukee Brewers
Ok, I understand the correlation between The Brewers and the beer industry, but this just looks like it belongs on the side of a beer can. The colors (dark blue and gold) however are a nice touch that are both modern and classy. The M/B Glove icon on the other hand is just a brilliant graphic design, but the colors are dated. They ceased using it in 1993, but did bring it back last year as an alternate home cap logo, in the old color scheme. My solution: dump the beer can and apply the current color scheme to that M/B glove. Robin Yount would approve, and C.C. might have stayed!

Seattle Mariners
Similar to the Brew Crew’s glove, the Mariners also boast a strong design from their past. The inverted trident M is a stunningly clever design that was used in a few variations from 1977-1986. The current design was adapted in 1993 and is overcomplicated and unappealing. It also bears some signs of being dated itself (I’m looking at you teal). My recommendation: bring back the trident M in some form. Whether it’s one of the old ones or a new twist on it, and do it in a new nautical color scheme – but wait until Junior takes his final curtain call.

Toronto Blue Jays
Canada’s team introduced their current look in 2004, after dropping the awful burly Blue Jay after just one year. This new logo is a predictable aggressive icon, in line with many of the trendy sports logos of today. It has never really been fully embraced by fans, leading to the reintroduction of the original logo last year (in an alternate role). The original logo was one of the longer running logos in the modern era, being used for almost 20 years from the team’s inception in 1977 all the way to 1996. It remains popular today, with it’s throwback appeal on the signature two-tone cap. My advice for the Blue Jays: go back to the drawing board. The new logo has few redeeming qualities (though it does look good on a black cap), and the old logo is too retro to be refreshed or recycled. So take a another crack at it, nodding to the past while avoiding the cliches of modern sports logo design. Maybe then you’ll be able to attract some free agents north of the border.

PLAY BALL!

All logos via Chris Creamer’s Sports logo Page.

TYPE: Structuring the ‘A’ similar to the previous Alberta mark was a savvy choice and a good first step towards a successful rebrand. However, the loose script treatment ends up reminding me of the recent rebrand by the art & crafts megastore Michael’s,which isn’t a great brand association for our mighty province. I will say it is an attractive and well executed custom script, just kind of generic and fruity for a strong bold province known for its cowboys and roughnecks. The way it ends abruptly putting all that creativity and spirit into a limited box of achievement is visually unappealing and alludes to concrete “inside the box” thinking, when everyone really wants to think outside the box.

COLOR The color choice (Pantone Baby Poo C) is rather uninspired as well. Color would have been a good area to redirect the bad environmental reputation Alberta has received by going with blues and greens reflecting the natural beauty of the province. Instead we have a gross brown(?) evocative of the miry muck of the oilsands…perfect.

SLOGAN “Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve.” The new slogan makes us sound like an artist’s commune in the middle of a communist dictatorship. We’re free to do what we want here, while soaring to new heights. Cheesy as sin and absolute garbage.

OVERALL On the whole I can’t help but judge this as a good effort, but a failure. The color is wrong, and the script is weak. I’ve lived in Alberta my whole life and this doesn’t come close to capturing the spirit and energy of this place. Could be worse though. D