Major rebranding campaigns can encompass many different media, from small paper items to larger vinyl signs. To make an image that fits in all of these settings, companies, governmental agencies and other organizations should consult with design professionals that have experience with a variety of surfaces and display strategies, and will be able to make a logo look great on all of them.
The state of Tennessee is reportedly investing $46,000 in a new state logo that is meant to appear "on all signage and letterheads," as WSMV-TV reports. This logo features the simple abbreviation of the state's name, "TN," in white letters on a red square, with a white border and a blue stripe underneath. The logo is also meant to replace several others connected to the state that use wildly different colors, designs and fonts.
This apparent simplicity is also what some have criticized about the font, with the editor of the Memphis Flyer, Bruce Vanwyngarden, humorously comparing it to a stop sign, a No Smoking sign, the Netflix logo and a Do Not Enter Sign.
Whether or not this color scheme succeeded in this case, the desire to create a unifying logo is still a legitimate one. Thinking ahead to all of the different ways that a logo will be displayed, particularly for a public agency, will help it plan more effectively and make sure that the image doesn't look blurry or ill-fitting when it's placed on a large surface, for example.
Color plays an important role in all logos, but it's especially crucial to enforce coherence among different forms of government-related media. Professional-level design ensures that each logo gets the right sizing and coloring for its intended purpose.