TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY'S ADVERTISING COMMUNITY CALLS OUT WILLOUGHBY DESIGN FOR THE CRAPPY NEW CONVENTION AND VISITORS ASSOCIATION SWASTIKA LOGO!!!
Word to Jordan Carver, it seems that everybody in Kansas City is a critic.
To wit . . .
THE REACTION TO THE NEW KANSAS CITY CONVENTION AND VISITORS ASSOCIATION LOGO HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY HORRIBLE!!!
Personally, I think it looks like a big blue swastika.
Now . . .
BEHIND THEIR BACKS EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE BLAMING WILLOUGHBY DESIGN FOR THE OLD AND BUSTED GRAPHIC!!!
Because TKC is Kansas City's last bastion of fairness, free speech and hottie model boobs . . . I've decided to dig up a poor excuse of an explanation from Willoughby and their blog post on the subject.
Their method:
Here's how the hot mes started: The KCCVA brand identity project began with a question, “what does Kansas City have that can set us apart from all of the other cities in the world?”
THAT'S EASY . . . KANSAS CITY HAS MORE WHITE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE THE VICTIMS OF RACISM THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD!!!
It gets worse . ..
"To draw out those qualities that make KC truly unique, Willoughby led the KCCVA team and stakeholders through a series of brand vision exercises. The goal: Define how Kansas City could put a stake in the ground as a tourist destination."
At this point the design probably consisted of a BBQ rib and I'm hoping the "exercises" involved hooking up with the recent college grad hotties who still don't know that their marketing degree is worthless.
Finally . . .
"The new KCCVA brandmark is open to many interpretations as a reflection of Kansas City’s desire to be known for what it has become: A vibrant creative crossroads with a world class arts and entertainment scene. The brand voice remains grounded in our welcoming, Midwestern values."
NOT REALLY, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A BLUE AND WHITE SWASTIKA . . . OR MAYBE AN ASTERISK!!!
Here's a diagram the group has done in their defense and by way of attempting to explain their FAIL. . .
Click the image for a bigger view . . . Or simply realize that once again corporate group think has doomed Kansas City with a lack of creativity and what looks like a rejected ad from the set of Mad Men.
DEVELOPING . . .
No Sir, I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteno sir, i don't like it either. it SO reminds of the old aquila logo that was a kalidescope-like mishmash of colors and geometrical shapes. they even gave out little kalidescopes at launch. thing is, it was supposed to represent "ever changing and evolving" or some B.S. meant to appeal to wall street. i thought it was more like, "we'll keep changing our vision so you won't know who we are or what we stand for."
ReplyDeleteIt's an old and busted logo to represent an old and busted city that thinks by building streetcars and hosting All Star Games, the environment that most of its residents live in will somehow be improved.
ReplyDeleteBut the next day the sun comes back up, and the murders continue and the pipes still break and it's the same old place.
Attention spans of gnats!
I have an idea. Pitch KC's historical value as a living breathing history lesson on how Detroit became what it is today.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in keeping with the reverse racism theme, let's go with white arms in shackles. Kinda the reverse Freedom Inc. logo.
It makes me wanna save whales by getting as many as possible over into Johnson County before they are killed at a Church's Chicken.
ReplyDeleteNo chuck you keep the whales on your side.
ReplyDeleteoh and the logo sucks.
I'm not seeing the swastika, Tony.
ReplyDeleteCalling it a swastika might be a bit of a reach, but it definitely is not a clever design.
ReplyDeleteBlah, blah, blah..."creative" mouth bullshit! Sorry Ann, your people usually do nice work but this logo really is crap! But in Kansas City it will probably win an Addy! FAIL!!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!! Did Willoughby REALLY produce that shitty video???? Stick to print work!
ReplyDeleteThe Vegas slogan is "What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Our slogan should be "What Happens in Kansas City?.....Nothing"
ReplyDeleteMetaphysical 'reasons' are always funny. If you know its about Kansas City, you can see the KC, but if you don't know its about Kansas City, you only see an asterisk.
ReplyDeleteSo how much are the cordish boys paying you to talk about a logo, Alonzo and water versus the dead and dying downtown? Don'y you know that the debt payments are accelerating each year meaning taxpayers are being hit with more and more cost for the whitey district? Don'y you know that more tenants have closed and that they are still discriminating?
ReplyDeleteBet they paid you a nice sum to shut up for a while during Big 12. Sellout!
Give "credit" where credit is due man. That abortion of a video is the work of the creative darlings at T2. Their work is even shittier than most given their crossroads arrogance.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_pqaQuB-m4&feature=player_embedded
The point is the logo DOESN'T CONVEY ANYTHING. The diagram is after-the-fact design pablum to justify such an uninspired identity mark.
ReplyDeleteSooooo Tony...where's your creative outlet gone....how about a solution!!!
ReplyDeleteSwastikas were pretty popular in their day.
ReplyDeleteGood Gawd what the hell is that! Wtf were they on down there?
ReplyDeleteI hope they did not get paid for this. They would done better if they would have let grade school kids create designs and picked one of them.
ReplyDeleteBoring, dull, stupid, mediocre, corporate, etc. Seal of our final demise.
ReplyDeleteYou people are never satisfied with anything. A bunch of whiny fucks who sit and think of things to bitch at. Who gives a rats ass about the logo when our city is in ruins. I'm sure the black folk will complain because it doesn't resemble anything they believe in. Fuck em'! Get a job you idiots and complain about something that actually worth while. You all are a bunch of"Debbie Downers" who bring everybody down. It's a logo, get over it. I haven't been working for the city council to hear you bitch about a fucking logo! Kansas City has the most cry baby citizens! Move to Kansas if you want to bitch.
ReplyDeleteYou can't be serious. Come on this is some kind prank please tell me it's so.
ReplyDelete9:42 AM your to sophisticated to work for the City Council. Nice try anyway.
ReplyDelete9:42...OUCHY!!! Hit a nerve did we???? Must have "worked" on that project.
ReplyDeleteIf a marketing organization has to hire someone to develop marketing ideas for them, they are in trouble
ReplyDeleteDAYUM!!! That grey sweater Megan is wearing doesn't hide those big sweet tittays! Annes sweater puppies were about as big as Jordens in the good ol'days!
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is it's pathetic. World Class City huh?
ReplyDeleteThe worst logo EVER. Whoever did this piece of crap should be fired.
ReplyDelete@SOS Absolutely hilarious and once again... dead on. Knats?..LMAO It wouldn't be so funny if it weren't true! City Officials need to be on adderall and possible shock therapy, too!
ReplyDeleteQuite seriously I can't believe that escaped the trash can while it was still a rough sketch.
ReplyDeleteVideo is pretty bad too. Grossly overproduced, very poor audio engineering. Total lack of any coherent message. Very "weak" overall.
ReplyDeleteNever underestimate peoples ability to screw things up.
ReplyDeleteI like it alot.
ReplyDelete"The Echo Chamber"
ReplyDeleteOnly thing missing is flying parrots.
9:54 is spot on.
ReplyDeleteThis should be the KC Public Works Dept. logo, representing the historically shitty job of snow removal, the "K" being a snowflake and the "C" being a zero.
ReplyDeleteIt also kinda looks like the c is the target and the k is where the shot actually hit. Kinda like someone missing the mark.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason for all the haters is that most all commenters are men, and this logo is not designed to capture the (positive) attention of men.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the firm's motto is, "We design meaningful brand experiences that women love."
And they do have a "Design Barn"- which sort of reminds me of the store "Dress Barn."
Willoughby used to do pretty good work. They didn't bat 1,000 and sometimes they produced WTF stuff, but they had more hits than misses. Maybe Ann and Co. are losing their touch because this logo is a wreck.
ReplyDeleteBUT... Remember Willoughby was the agency that created this mess. Einstein Rick Hughes at the CVA and his minions APPROVED and PAID for this junk. So who is the idiot here?
Looks like Rick Hughes wins the stupid award...again.
True dat! Sometimes when you produce crap and can SELL IT, if the client has the taste of a dirty diaper they'll buy it and pay! The agency PROFITS $$$$$$$!!!! You can buy flowers and pay for upkeep on the Design Barn!!! SUCKAS!!!
ReplyDeleteAnn is the queen of making something so basic cost a whole bunch.
ReplyDeleteSo, Two Words: HOW MUCH???
PS: My guess, AT LEAST $50k (probably more).
Kinda like this identity program...shit stinks! Next time keep to yourselves. Phewwwww!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell she obviously needs the money to pay her taxes.
ReplyDeleteDate: 01/09/2012 Description: Judgment Entered Against: WILLOUGHBY DESIGN INC
Amount of Judgment: see text Date of Satisfaction: 02/06/2012
Text: $10,090.40
Seriously, The CVA has been allowed to bring weak programs and weaker campaigns for far too long. This logo is just another example of Kansas City needing to clean house where they are concerned. Sly James, take a long look at how much money the city would save by trimming this non-functional organization.
ReplyDeleteSaw the blog post. One on the left is fugly, one on the right is flat. Megan in the middle has some FANTASTIC titties hiding in that gray sweater. Well camouflaged but you just can't hide those babies! The guys look like KU dorks that shop off the rack. Oh yeah, crappy logo.
ReplyDelete