In moments of economic crisis, we need government logos. That is the lesson of history. Now, just in time, we have two new ones that will be on display anywhere stimulus dollars are being spent to create jobs.
The first is the circular emblem of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the stimulus). It adds the color green to the national palette and conjoins the gears of industry with a seedling under the banner of the national flag. The message seems to be: America is productive, but environmentally friendly — and we’re gonna keep growing.
The second is this “TIGER” logo, which stands for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery. It will be on display at transportation-related job sites:
Obama offered this introduction when the two were unveiled:
“We’re also making it easier for Americans to see what projects are being funded with their money as part of our recovery. [...] These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people — a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government — your government — is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.”
Some commentators have noted the striking thematic similarities between the ARRA logo and that of an unsuccessful Depression-era agency, the National Recovery Administration:
Indeed, both the ARRA and NRA emblems are a mash-up of the same three elements: a gear wheel, a symbol of the natural world (lightning bolts in the case of the NRA, connoting electrification), and a symbol of republic. It’s unclear whether these Roosevelt-era overtones were intentional or not.
Meanwhile, “TIGER” seems like an odd choice. As a brand, the animal brings to mind Asian economies, the Exxon corporation in the 70’s and 80’s, and sugar-frosted corn flakes. Why create such a tortured acronym to get there?
The first time we see either of them, we’ll slap up a photo. If you spot them before we do, take a picture and email to us.
March 4th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
palate -> palette
lighten -> lightning
March 4th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Thanks!
March 4th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Given that “United States” and “promoting industry” should be conveyed by each symbol, it’s hard to imagine two logos more different, except for the common use of the gear, a hard-to-resist symbol for a program designed to get the engine of the economy running again.
If the designers saw the NRA logo, it appears they sought distance from it.
It’s more complicated than any great symbol. But if it looked a great symbol–the product of a top design firm–many America’s would feel that Obama is focusing on style at the expense of substance. So I’d argue it’s a pretty good solution to the design team’s challenges.
March 5th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hmmm…
While I agree that you don’t want to over-hype with a design that smacked of too much style, the ARRA logo feels awfully cold and bureaucratic. (BTW, the Tiger logo is simply inexplicable.) There is something about the iconic NRA design that makes it powerful — and a little bit frightening — even today. Yet it was a bold stroke and fit with the emergence of the spare and muscular design movement of the machine age. While I am not arguing for anything like it, I believe they could have taken it a few steps further and at least attempted a design that would be energetic and hopeful versus leaving me blank. They’ve done it before (think the brilliant EPA logo) but this time it feels rushed and uninspired. All in all, a missed opportunity.