Crispin Porter + Bogusky and "Crowd-Sourcing" CP+B WTF?!
Hello, my name is Bill and I'm a logo designer...
Crispin Porter + Bogusky is a respected advertising agency with home offices in Boulder, Colorado and Miami, Florida. They've created breakthrough ad campaigns for BMW Mini, Volkswagen and Virgin Atlantic. But lately they seem to be coming up with ideas that are slightly less than genius. They created the "Life Without Walls" campaign to encourage consumers to buy a product Microsoft does not make, PCs. I'll say it again, it's a terribly illogical campaign- "Without Walls" there would be no need for Windows.
In May CP+B auctioned off three months of work on a creative presentation by their interns, on eBay. (The winning bid was $17,655 to an anonymous bidder). Hooray interns! I wonder if they saw any of that money?
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=270392380113
And then there's the creepy Burger King.
Now CP+B appears to be responsible for "crowd-sourcing" a logo project for Brammo, an Electric Motorcycle manufacturer based in Oregon. They've released a creative brief and have put out a call for volunteer logo submissions. The winning designer will be awarded the pitiful sum of $1000. Brammo's new logo will most likely cost less than the motorcycles they make.
http://www.crowdspring.com/projects/graphic_design/logo/logo_for_brammo_electric_motorcycle/details
Alex Bogusky, if you're within the sound of my voice, please listen. I believe this is a highly unethical, incredibly destructive precedent. This is a well known creative shop trolling for logos. Does their client Brammo know that they're doing this? How much can one respect or value a logo that was created this way? Yes, it is possible that someone out there may create an excellent solution. But I think this sort of process cheapens the work and devalues the design. Worse, if this kind of trolling in mediocrity results in a "successful" solution, other agencies and corporations will be encouraged to follow suit. Corporations may decide they have no need for ad agencies or design partners.
Frankly, this sucks.
Graphic Design is done best by experienced graphic designers. Bypassing a professional process of logo design, and turning it into a free-for-all, is an insult to qualified logo designers and to the craft and tradition Graphic Design.
My profession and the realm of Corporate Identity have been co-opted by ad agencies, "brand consultancies" and "strategic marketing firms." What often results is mediocre, milquetoast solutions backed up by artfully stilted research and bullshit rhetoric passed off as strategy. More often the written and diagrammed accoutrements of these brand identities exist only to justify the fees. Seldom is that kind of logo an adequate cornerstone of a visual identity. It's merely the visual representation of their brand and marketing position, crafted in the midst of compromise and groupthink, rather than any singular vision. This kind of group effort, most often results in more studies in mediocrity.
Good logos are informed by critical thought and developed with goals and appeals in mind. A great logo designer creates having done research and exploration to arrive at a deeply meaningful solution. The logo designer's expertise and experience as a visual thinker, qualify them to create with passion and purpose.
Good logos are evocative, unique marks that serve to effectively present and distinguish an entity to a particular marketplace. Good logos are usually concepts crafted by a qualified, experienced designer working in concert with an intelligent and trusting client.
It's time for qualified Graphic Designers to proclaim their expertise and reclaim their field.
... and shame on you, Mr. Bogusky.
