The redesign was a tough task because the ASA red tick closely resembles the iconic Nike 'swoosh'. This is like Shell's shell, The Red Cross' cross, Apple's apple and the Mercedes star - all are graphic symbols that, even when seen on their own, are immediately identified with the brands they represent.
When the ASA decided to update its logo, one assumes it wanted the tick to be retained. The tick indicates both approval and the correct solution, and so is entirely appropriate for a body required to make judgments on public standards. The Nike factor may or may not have played a part in the latest manifestation of the ASA's graphic mark. Nike's tick is fluid, gently sweeping, optimistic and non-threatening, whereas the new ASA version is a much harder, more acute, no-nonsense stamp of authority.
Viewing the printed version, I wondered whether stylisation made it unclear what the image was intended to represent. But the on-screen version animates the action of making a tick, re-establishing the motif. If the ASA felt its logo needed to communicate its power to give the advertising industry a sharp poke in the eye, then it works. Just do it.
- Design agency: Columns Design.
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