Another exclusive for ConservativeHome, which has been followed up by the newspapers today. This is likely to be the new Conservative Party logo. I like it. It is simple to remember (but not draw!), resonates strength, calmness in a crisis and reminds people of the Vote Blue Go Green slogan. I see the scorched earth tendency is already up in arms with Norman Tebbit railing against the replacement of the torch and Andrew Kennedy starting an online petition HERE. Andrew believes the new logo should be 'put out for consultation'. I can think of nothing worse - a logo designed by committee? We'd probably end up with something that looked as if it had been designed by Tracey Emin or Rolf Harris. No thanks. At least Conservative Home's exclusive has given political journalists to write about in the politics-free month of August.Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Tories to go for Tree Logo - ConservativeHome Exclusive
Another exclusive for ConservativeHome, which has been followed up by the newspapers today. This is likely to be the new Conservative Party logo. I like it. It is simple to remember (but not draw!), resonates strength, calmness in a crisis and reminds people of the Vote Blue Go Green slogan. I see the scorched earth tendency is already up in arms with Norman Tebbit railing against the replacement of the torch and Andrew Kennedy starting an online petition HERE. Andrew believes the new logo should be 'put out for consultation'. I can think of nothing worse - a logo designed by committee? We'd probably end up with something that looked as if it had been designed by Tracey Emin or Rolf Harris. No thanks. At least Conservative Home's exclusive has given political journalists to write about in the politics-free month of August.
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55 comments:
If only we COULD get Tracey Emin to design our logo - that would be great...
The tree logo is awful and is meaningless. The torch should be redesigned without the stupid arm that Saatchi added.
I believe that another agency redesigned the torch logo before Saatchi's attempt at homo-erotic socialist realism. It is remoured to have a considerable sum and should be recconsidered.
How apt. In the autumn leaves fall off trees just as the gloss is falling off Dave Cameron in time for the autumn party conference!
Due to the large number Old Etonians on the the frontbench and working for Call Me Dave at CCHQ, the new logo should be a straw boater. Pip Pip!
I diskile it intensely , it looks like the logo from a tree preservation society or a seed catalogue. By all means change the logo, but something better than this PLEASE.
Sorry Iain but your post contains a comment which I have to take issue with:
"something that looked as if it had been designed by Tracey Emin or Rolf Harris."
One's a highly sophisticated artist with a legion of fans and a body of worthy work behind them, the other's a silly moo who exhibits unmade beds. ;-)
On the logo front it looks nice and a lot better than the torch but I'm not sure it's individual enough - it reminds me of the logos used by those loan companies one might see on daytime TV.
My Liberal Review colleagues have already noted its resemblance (i) to the Barratt Homes logo (no doubt symbolising Dave's eagerness to concrete on the greenbelt) and (ii) that of the Italian Communist Party. Does the latter signifiy confirmation of the Tories' new political direction?
One other thing is that in B/W the logo resembles a mushoom loud. Vote Blue, Glow Green?
Do you mean this is to be the new Conservative Party logo in England. Scotland and Wales already have their own logos.
We had better be without gold than without timber.
Sorry to say this but it's terrible. Looks like the logo for a day care centre. A modern, updated version of the torch would have been great.
Hug a hoody and now a tree hugging logo...I'm getting to the point where I officially do not support the (so called) Conservative Party...
what happend to dave the chameleon, I thought that was rather cool!
Have they never heard the fashion adage 'Blue and green should never be seen'?
I think it's awful.
Oh dear, terrible don't like it. It suggests that all the Tory party are about is the environment. There are lots of other problems facing Britain, not just this one issue.
Logos should be nebulous entities that don't suggest anything. If the Tories ever get back into power and introduce some kind of legislation that is perceived to be detrimental to the environment, that logo will become a laughing stock.
How much is this costing?
Will it make a difference?
Great oaks....,wooden walls of England, hearts of oak, conservation,deep roots in the soil,protective spreading canopy,planting oaks for the grandchildren, confidence in future, respect for the past, strength, protector of monarchy. Meaningless !!! The instant vituperative response suggests the Tories have a winner here.
When an organisation gives priority to its logo over its policies, then it's in deep, deep trouble.
It's putting a brand on an empty box.
"Never mind the contents, look at the packaging!"
The fact that so many get gulled into thinking that this is relevant, important or necessary is an indication of how useless the CP has become.
It's what's known in population dynamics as displacement activity - can't face doing what the situation demands, but must do something; a bit like re-arranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic.
His Grace must agree with Mr Martin Hoscik.
Rolf Harries is a prolific artist of consummate ability. Mr Dale may equate him with banalities, but Cranmer rather believes that post-mortem, Mr Harris's genius will be lauded.
His Grace is rather more intruiged to discover who designed the new logo, and how much they were paid.
Oh man that is just sad. It looks like a piece of brocolli. They have to be kidding...I hope.
I think that it is great!
Howevere I do disgree on one point Iain - I could never get close to doing a decent sketch of the last 2 torches we've had but I can do the tree. Hurrah!
Are they offering ISAs and mortgages?
I'd feel safe in the hands of a building society with an oak tree for a logo...
What's that?
It's not a building society?
It's the Conservatives?!
I find it immensely entertaining to read the comments of the refuseniks. Were these the same people who protested when Howard changed to the current Torch? Did they protest when we changed from the old square Torch to the previous version in 1987?
Also the idea of consulting the membership is a joke. How much would that cost the party? £300k? The whole point of what Cameron is trying to do is reach out to floating voters who think that the party is stuck in the past and a bit too hard edged for some of their tastes. Asking the membership whether we should keep a 1930's style logo will only elicit one response!
http://www.womens-institute.co.uk/
I think its rubbish, will it be bare by winter?
You know, I don't think that was designed to go on the head of stationery. I think it was designed to be printed as a repeating pattern on polarfleece women's pullovers.
Seriously, check it out. Can you not just see your hearty neighborhood housewife types wearing that, with matching headbands?
Gack. I mean seriously, GACK.
It's good. Let's get on with it.
it look's like a good logo for a children's nursery but not for one of the oldest political parties in the world.
The tourch does need updating but surely we can come up with something far more stately?
Sorry Iain I don't agree it shows strength.
"rick w said:
The whole point of what Cameron is trying to do is reach out to floating voters who think that the party is stuck in the past and a bit too hard edged for some of their tastes."
That has already been rectified.
There is no 'edge' to the CP, hard or soft. Instead they have instituted the politics of fog: dim, stifling - and they can't see where they're going.
Of course Dear Dave is reaching out to floating voters; anyone who's out of his depth naturally would.
Those complaining aren't complaining about the logo at all,it's a displacement activity.
I'm not a conservative voter but may be tempted and the sooner these idiots who spew Tebbit-like contempt leave you and a) explode or b) destroy another party like UKIP, the better.
Why don't people vote conservative? I could mention the names of numerous people I read on here and on Guido etc. They are the reason why we can't bring ourselves to do so and it's so funny that these people can't see it!
Is it meant to be blurry, or do I need to see an optician?
It works.
Solidity, deep roots, hearts of oak, Greenery, countryside, unchanging, literally conservative.
Thematically exactly the opposite of the active, progressive, combative, nationalistic, forward looking, white heat torch.
It presents the image Cameron is after perfectly. I don't much like the image but that is not a valid critism.
Is it supposed to be all fuzzy and out of focus??
Nony: oh, not at all. I don't vote Tory because I'm a lefty. And a female, educated, tree-hugging lefty at that. This logo is supposed to call to people like me and drag us over to the Dark Side just by the sheer force of its graphic impact. You got your enviro-reference, your soft, girly colours, your pastelly execution; everything but the persian kitten snoozing at the base of the tree. All designed to grab the hearts of grown-ups of my type and wrench them sharply to the right.
After all, you can't exactly see this appealing to those retired Colonels in the Shires, can you?
As TC Douglas once said, I don't mind someone stealing my pajamas, but he should wear all of them if he doesn't want to appear indecent. I wonder if we'll see Dave at the next Greenpeace meeting. Or maybe the drum circle...
I love the tree. I see this as a very good rebranding move.
The tree means so much more than the torch.
Yes why doesn't Tebbit join the BNP or UKIP? He represents all that stops the Tories winning.
To anon @ 12:03...
"I'm not a conservative voter" - presumably, you vote labour or liberal, so why should anyone give a fig as to your opininion about the logo?
Logo change is usually desperate (and is perceived to be so).
Personally I think it's bloody awful. I hope it's a joke.
It's putting a brand on an empty box. "Never mind the contents, look at the packaging!"
Yup.
But then, what else did you expect from PR Dave?
-- as ever, show but no substance.
Is this the result of surrounding yourself with old Etonians, aka 'upper class twits'?
(If you think the Tories can attack Labour with impunity for having too many Scots in the cabinet, just wait for the coming storm over old Etonians. At least the Scots got there by something resembling merit...)
That is a horrible logo. Nothing could be worse than having such a revolting image. As has been said in the comments above, it is extremely generic, with no individuality at all!
Why not just redesign the torch logo? That would make FAR more sense, and look far better!
I would be happy with the oak tree if it was recognisable as one. I'm not sure this is.
Of course, now that most people live in towns & cities, how many younger voters would actually recognise even a clearly drawn oak tree?
Still, what the heck. I always thought the torch looked a bit too Mussolini-style.
But why bother with all of that stuff? What about a picture of a really cute kitten, to fit with the cute cuddly and definitely non-nasty Nu-Cons?
I'm far too old. My ealiest recollection of a 'torch' logo was on something called Beacon Books which my parents used in a vain attempt to teach me to read.
I think the tree is OK, but I've just got a few doubts about the party that goes with it. Anyway, no doubt we'll see how it blossoms.
As a Notts Forest fan, how can I complain that the Tories have half-inched our logo (albeit in a rather less stylised format). Certain symmetry too - Forest were mighty in the late seventies and eighties, taking on all comers, at home and in Europe - thanks to a coach that some thought wonderful, some despised. Then the drink took hold... and the slippery slope as we kept losing and went down a couple of divisions.
But both will rise again to their former glories...
(Might lose us a few votes in Derby and Leicester though!)
Like the idea, but not the actual design. My version's better ;)
Not even the Green party has a tree for its logo. Methinks the tory leader doth protest his green ideals too much.
I hope it will begin to look less fuzzy as they start to develop their policies
machiavelli's understudy beat me to it: a nice, safe, sturdy building society logo.
A political party? No. Too passive.
I don't think Dave is barking. He is just a trite PR man who thinks in gimmicks. That is all he has produced since he got the leadership - by way of a gimmick: He gave a speech without notes. Big. bloody. deal. Actors do a one and a half hour play without prompts. And they have to remember their own moves and their fellow players' moves at the same time. What Dave did is nothing but a trick of memory. Opera singers do a two hour opera not remembering just the words and the moves, but every musical note.
Riding his bicycle. Gimmick. Going to Norway and posing wearing a parka with Huskies. Deeply embarrassing gimmick. Pushing that disabled kid front and centre. Gimmick. The photo call for the disabled kid to be shown getting in an NHS ambulance. Gimmick. Complaining about chocolate oranges in WH Smith. Gimmick.
This sad, fat-faced,complacent nitwit, who waxes the top part of his body and looks thoroughly repulsive thereby, is on an ego trip. He has no leadership qualities. None. As long as he is the leader, I'm voting UKIP this time.
The tree logo is far better that the previous pseudo-communist arm-torch image
Rog says
"To anon @ 12:03...
"I'm not a conservative voter" - presumably, you vote labour or liberal, so why should anyone give a fig as to your opininion about the logo?"
Why shouldn't Anon's views be worthy of listening to?
One of the things I - and I doubt I'm alone - like about Iain's blog is that it's open to people of all political leanings.
To think that other people aren't worthy of listening to just because they might support another party strikes me a little limiting.
rog - the same anon (how do I get a name? Haven't worked that out yet).
well if you don't want to appeal to anyone beyond those that voted tory last election expect to remain in perpetual opposition. That does seem to be the purist position of many people who respond on this blog. As for the person calling themselves Verity, if voters like you leave the tories then voters like me would find it easier to support them. Glad to see you're doing the honourable thing.
Love it except that it is too English. I, like goderich, thought of oak trees etc etc. Makes us even more the English not British party.
I sort of liked it when I first saw it although the torch is far more striking and meaningful. However, I have known it for 20 hours now and I am bored with it. Conclusion? It is crap.
If only they would use a head cleaner on their inkjet printer it would not have that smudged and faded look............
The tree logo is far better that the previous pseudo-communist arm-torch image
One is dramatic and action-oriented - the other is simply banal suggesting stasis
No, No, No, No, No
Quite simply I do not like it or the idea of it!
Iain use your power to stop it!
Is this an English oak or one of the German imports? I think we should be told.
It's not much better than the new "canabis" leaf logo Rebridge Council adopted last year (or was it 2004)
It's terrible and meaningless! Re-design the torch by ll means, but don't use a tree as the Party's logo!
have the Conservatives signed a sponsorship deal with Nottingham Forrest FC?
Why doesn't Dave just scrap all logos and give every member a wrist band?
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