The logo on the left was designed in 2003, and was not so affectionately referred to as “the blob”. Fast forward to 2009, and it looks like Brisbane is taking a less controversial approach, with a new look and tagline:
Christian Palino sums it up best in his review over at Brand New:
If the marketing blob was as outspoken and playful as youth, the new identity is soft-spoken and more grown up. Grown up much in the way the modifier “it’s happening” has buttoned up into the tagline “Australia’s new world city”. This is a maturity from an adolescent marketing identity into destination adulthood, and while this brand can now sit quietly in a room with other similar, adult brands without saying too much, the conversation might be kind of dull.
I don’t love this tagline either, but I do think it was smart to put “Australia” right in the tag, as it shows an awareness of the need to market globally and not everyone knows which Brisbane is being referred to here without it. I quite like the write-up behind the tagline, found in their brand tools:
Brisbane. Positive and forward thinking, generous and optimistic.
We lead the world in infrastructure, health, biotechnology and education and our subtropical climate and sunny disposition is ideal for nurturing and inspiring creativity.
Brisbane is clean, green, friendly, tolerant and multicultural, creative, collaborative and liveable. It’s this openminded and globally responsible attitude that enables us to maintain a balance between progress and sustainability.
Welcome to Brisbane, Australia’s new world city.
It just falls short on the execution, as “new world” is too nebulous a term to be meaningful. You can read the full story over at Brand New here.