Question of the day
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois has a new bicentennial logo…
The logo, which was designed and donated by Ben Olson of the Schaumburg-based public relations firm 3 Monkeys and an Aardvark Studios, reflects those strengths, bicentennial organizers said.
Twenty-one gold stars — marking Illinois’ 1818 entry into the union as its 21st state — surround a blue outline of the state. In the middle of the bicentennial logo is a gold-colored “200″ in a white sunburst with rays emanating in all directions.
“The sunburst in the middle of the state outline portrays the impact Illinois has made on the country and the world over the past two centuries and the bright future we aspire to for the next 200 years,” said Stuart Layne, the commission’s executive director.
* And here it is…
* Everyone’s a critic…
Heh.
* The Question: Your opinion of this donated logo?
- AlfondoGonz - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:10 am:
It’s…fine.
- Commander Norton - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:12 am:
I like it! I think it’s classic and bold without being cluttered.
- siriusly - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:12 am:
you stole my comment. Yes, it’s fine.
- siriusly - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:12 am:
But also sort of looks like UAW
- Been There - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:13 am:
I like that its blue and hope it stays that way
- blue dog dem - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:14 am:
Nice. And the fact that it was donated makes it all the better.
- Magic carpet ride - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:15 am:
The 200-is that the prediction of the Illinois population in 2018? /s
- Give Me A Break - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:15 am:
Why are we using the Indiana State Flag for this?
- East Central Illinois - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:16 am:
I like it a lot better than the new Illinois license plate!
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:16 am:
Too much going on with it, but I’m not, like, offended or anything.
- Spliff - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:16 am:
You get what you pay for.
- Just Observing - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:18 am:
Better than I can do.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:18 am:
Best kind of logo. Free logo.
- illinoyed - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:19 am:
It looks like the Indiana state flag.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:21 am:
21 stars symbolize that Illinois was the 21st state admitted to the union. Nicely done. Not sure about the vertical, hard-to-read “Bicentennial,” but this should work. And the price was right.
Of course, they could have had a competition among public university graphic design students for a logo and the winning logo would have cost the same as this one.
- ??? - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:21 am:
I like it.
- @MisterJayEm - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:24 am:
“Your opinion of this donated logo?”
It was very nice of Mr. Olson to donate it.
– MrJM
- Anon221 - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:26 am:
Fine. Agee with the “blue” point:)
On a slightly snarky vein- it could be used for the new “re-map” in 2018;)
- Not quite a majority - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:26 am:
Not a fan of the gold, but at least someone is acknowledging we are about to have a bicentennial. So I give it props just for showing up.
- Illinois Bob - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:28 am:
We should also have a new state motto. How does “Politics, Power and Patronage Above the People” sound if we want to be accurate and current?
- Ole' Nelson - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:31 am:
simple and classy. Thanks Mr. Olson!
- Bogey Golfer - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:39 am:
The blue and gold looks too Notre Damey. Not a U of I grad, but wouldn’t orange be a bit more appropo?
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:40 am:
I’m waiting for someone to complain that, once again, southern Illinois was ignored.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:41 am:
===they could have had a competition among public university graphic design students===
Not so sure that the governor cares what college students think.
- Arsenal - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:44 am:
==Not so sure that the governor cares what college students think.==
Yowch.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:45 am:
Cue an IPI post about how even the stars are leaving Illinois at a record rate in 3…2…1…
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:45 am:
===Your opinion of this donated logo?===
My initial thought is someone dropped an A-Bomb on Pekin. Given a moment to think about it… it’s fine. I’m sure we could spend $50,000 and get something about the same. So free is good.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:46 am:
===Not so sure that the governor cares what college students think.===
Not sure that any billionaire republican cares what anybody else thinks.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:50 am:
It’s fine. And as much as I love the Illini, no way on the orange and blue.
- Publius - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:53 am:
Thousand points of light, stay the course, thousand points of light
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:54 am:
They like a twitter hashtag: #IllinoisProud. Suspect it would be better suited if it were #IllinoisDisgraced.
- MAMA - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:55 am:
The design is good.
Is blue the official state color?
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:59 am:
===they could have had a competition among public university graphic design students===
Are there any left in IL?
- Biker - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 11:59 am:
I guess I’m confused. Does this logo replace the state seal? Lucy Derwent’s original 1818 design was largely kept intact by Sharon Tyndale in 1868, with “State Sovereignty, National Union” on a banner in the beak of an Eagle holding the Colony shield on a rock next to water.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
===Not so sure that the governor cares what college students think.===
Agreed. I was making a (lame) joke about free labor and/or services being donated given that higher ed has been zeroed out of the budget this year.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:11 pm:
Who chose it? Was there a competition, other options? The Illinois 200 website does not inform.
- Ron Burgundy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:11 pm:
–Does this logo replace the state seal?–
No. Just used when promoting bicentennial events.
- Keyser Soze - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:12 pm:
The price is very reasonable.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
strikingly similar to Historic Preservation Agency
- Illinoisan - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
It looks exactly what you’d expect when you ask your graphic designer friend for free work. Okay, but not great.
- CLJ - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
It’s okay. I’m just surprised they even have one period. Donated or not. Government “working.”
- Porgy Tirebiter - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
Should it be displayed upside down like the international naval symbol for distress.
- A guy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:28 pm:
It’s subjective. Once they put some equity into it by using it on things I’m sure it will be fine. Quick read. To the point. Didn’t cost anything. All very good things going for it. There is philosophy for every element in there.
My first impression was that it was like a Dart Board with a bullseye value of 200 points.
After a little time, it’s just fine. It’ll work.
- City Zen - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:29 pm:
Good representation of our unfunded retirement liabilities.
- oneman - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
===they could have had a competition among public university graphic design students===
The Big Ten did that when they added Penn State
A student from NIU won it…
Kid ended up winning the contest for the logo for some big anniversary of Paris or France if I recall correctly…
- RIJ - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 12:44 pm:
It’s… fine. I wish they had used one more color for contrast (red being obvious). On the other hand I really like the 21 stars.
- Southside Markie - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
First impression is that it looks like a suburban vehicle sticker. But its difficult to be too critical for something we got for free. Thank you for your time and generosity, Mr. Olson.
- Peters Post - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:21 pm:
I like it. I think it will work on both letterhead and banners.
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
It’s the only thing the state can afford to do to celebrate the bicentennial.
- flippy - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:34 pm:
Would like to see the ones that didn’t make the cut.
- Saluki - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:39 pm:
It’s not terrible.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
Looks like exit arrows for those leaving the state.
- Lt Guv - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
Responding to “oneman,” Huck ‘em Fuskies!
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
Doubles as media graphic for ADM explosion
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
Michelle, you’re too good
- Stuff Happens - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
I like it a lot without the stars. The stars ‘try’ too hard; the 21 sunburst rays are enough.
- Free Set of Steak Knives - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
And if that’s supposed to be a sunburst, why not do the sunburst in gold and reverse out the “200″ in either blue or white?
- Sir Reel - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
I like it because the amount spent on it is commensurate with the amount of planning, organizational, marketing, etc. effort spent on the bicentennial to date, that is, virtually nothing.
- Dr X - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 2:44 pm:
Looks like the state us explodin into nothingness. Rauner’s dream.
- Huh? - Friday, Jan 13, 17 @ 2:47 pm:
Don’t like it. It looks amateurish at best. The State has exploded like fireworks with the stars that will fade.
- gdubya - Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:49 am:
“Not so sure that the governor cares what college students think.”
He will when they turn out in droves to vote against him in the next election. Only reason why he won in 2014, they stayed home.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:57 am:
===He will when they turn out in droves===
I’ll believe it when I see it.