Los Angeles has debuted its first new logo in over a decade. It was designed by two agencies, Studio Number One and House Industries for the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board.
Studio Number One is headed by Los Angeles artist Shepard Fairey, who’s best known for designing the ‘Hope’ poster of Barack Obama for his first presidential campaign.
The new branding has a two-fold purpose. First is its role in a post-pandemic push to get visitors back to the city of angels. This new logo coincides with their new slogan, “Your Comeback Starts Here.”
In addition, the previous logo was deemed by copyright lawyers as too generic to legally protect, which left it open to unlicensed poachers.
According to Fast Company, the logo was designed specifically with Gen Z and Millennials in mind.
The Los Angeles Times approves, and says, “It’s SO 80’s Ocean Pacific” and “firmly rooted in the culture of California surf.”
While it may be meant to appeal to the younger generations, it harkens back to the heyday of Gen X, “the team was inspired by hand-painted signs and skate gear... When I saw the design, I was immediately taken back to the Ocean Pacific brand T-shirts of my youth, which were often emblazoned with gradient script logos and images of palm trees and sunsets.”
The lead designer was also inspired by hand-painted signage, Mexican restaurant script, and classic art deco.
“You’ve got the Hollywood Hills and that’s only meaningful for some people, and you’ve got the palm trees that includes more than a beach but is still very beachy, and other places may use that, and then the stars on Hollywood Boulevard or City Hall, those are also very specific,” Shepard Fairey told Fast Company.
“The point was to make it open to interpretation for different people, and keep it distinct from what other cities are doing.”
What do you think of L.A.’s new branding?
