On balance, our fair burgh’s present logo isn’t bad – one could argue that while it may seem somewhat dated, it’s also pleasingly cliché in a retro sort of way, and of course, comfortably familiar, as well.
But that would be a sentiment that denies a pending reality. The historic courthouse at the center of the current graphic is about to be taken out of service, and obsolescence is not a good look for any municipality.
So, even though the historic and seismically deadly courthouse won’t be officially decommissioned for another year or two, the City’s new logo will go live on November 1, putting officials comfortably ahead of the curve.
Use of the new logo will be phased in; folks may see it first on official city correspondence and forms. City spokesperson Patrick Rollens said, “As you can imagine, we have a lot of material to update, and we won’t be able to get to all of it by November 1. So, there will be a bit of a rolling transition as some materials are updated and phased out slowly over the next 12 to 18 months.”
For instance, facility signs and vehicle decals may take more time to update, according to Rollens.
He also said, “This new batch of creative assets is a true brand system – something the City of Corvallis hasn’t had in a very long time, possibly ever. I’m excited to roll it out and put these logos and graphics to work.” The creative work was completed for $30,000 according to Rollens.
Jamie Law at Madison Avenue Collective in downtown Corvallis was selected to manage the creative process.
Insight into the creative priorities
We asked Law about the creative challenges and opportunities that Madison Avenue Collective, or MAC, was seeking to address – what we received back was a response from the whole team, and we think it’s a good read.
ADVOCATE: What were some of the specific challenges meeting the City’s needs?
MAC: The city’s former logo is some 40 years old, and it shows. The problem here isn’t just age. It’s that a heavily dated logo fails to communicate the vibrant, forward-looking character of Corvallis. Instead, the old logo does the opposite, generating negative associations that are simply inaccurate.
Furthermore, over the years, many alternative or “rogue” versions of the logo have cropped up, leading to a disorganized feeling that gets in the way of credibility. Add to that, the imagery of the old logo focuses on Marys Peak and the Benton County Courthouse, which do not represent the city at all. A brand is a powerful tool which is constantly telling a story; it’s extremely important to make sure that story is true.
Corvallis needed a brand system that would build trust, accurately express its values and character, and inspire its diverse populations to engage more deeply with their community. Weaving these considerations together was one of our primary goals.
ADVOCATE: What are you hoping the new logo conveys?
MAC: Through a thoughtful, research-driven process, MAC sought and integrated perspectives from multiple populations across the city. We heard participants celebrating the abundantly green plantscape and proximity to nature of Corvallis, expressing pride in the innovations of the university and local businesses, drawing attention to our city’s diversity, and acknowledging Native presence and traditions here.
We explored several possible directions for the new logo, iterating different ways to express the multifaceted character of our city. One of the things that makes the chosen direction the right choice is its flexibility. More than a logo, the new brand is a multifaceted identity system offering many possible combinations of color and imagery that different communities will be able to see themselves in.
ADVOCATE: Are there challenges specific to designing a logo for a municipality?
MAC: Creating a single mark that represents all the multifaceted identities within a community is always challenging. That’s one reason we delivered a full brand system, not just a single mark. The flexibility of this system gives the city a way to embrace that diversity in a really inclusive way. It also aligns with the city’s motto, a community that honors diversity.
ADVOCATE: What are you happiest with about the new logo?
MAC: As a Corvallis-based business, with many of our team members also being Corvallis residents, it was a real honor to get to work on our city’s brand. We love that we had the opportunity to interpret the feelings and viewpoints of our community into this visual system, and we hope others can see things they love about this place in what we’ve created.
Our view
Will we at The Advocate miss the old logo – with its heavy double-lined roundedness above, and equally heavy linear double-line below and overbearing silhouetted mountains in the middle – a little. We’ve had an appreciation for its old school ways.
On the other hand, we’ve warmed up to this new look from the officials at our fair burgh, and we’re liking the flexibility the MAC built into it.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com