Community Brand Logo Families

The holidays are all about spending time with family. This year when you're gathered around the table or the tree, take a peek at your peeps and ask yourself these questions:

• Is there a parent that the rest of the family can relate to?
• Do members work together? Or are they divisive?
• Do they represent the family well? Or are there some you're embarrassed to be seen in public with?
• Are they memorable?
• Are they recognizable as family, even to strangers?
• Do their own personalities shine through even as they represent the greater family unit?
• Are they flexible enough to mix and mingle with all different types?

Okay, most human families can't hold up to all that
scrutiny . . . BUT a family of logos, well that's a totally different story!

The most successful community brands work because they are integrated throughout the fabric of the community. And many of North Star's clients have developed comprehensive families of logos . . . all in the spirit of the overarching brand . . . for use by organizations, foundations, businesses and even individuals.

Now these are some families that have their act together!

Mesquite, Texas (click for case study) and McKinney, Texas (click for case study)
Sometimes changes are subtle. Check out how the strapline evolves to support different organizations.

Columbus, Georgia (click for case study)
Sometimes versions involve developing customized illustrations to support different assets and entities.

Columbus, Indiana (click for case study)
Sometimes color, typeface or one unique graphic element are the glue that visually bring together a wide variety of logos in a community.

MyersCroxton Group expanded North Star's mark for other Columbus organizations

Santa Rosa, California (click for case study)
Sometimes a distinct element of a more complex logo can be used alone to offer a consistent . . . but wholly unique look. Derivations of the strapline also make the graphic identity more flexible.

Overland Park, Kansas (click for case study)
Sometimes a simple color change can provide a powerful contrast for different organizations.

Go HERE for additional examples of community brand logo families

Finally, here are some logo series that don't involve communities or North Star clients . . . but we think they are pretty darn clever nevertheless (including College Hill Neighborhood Association, Woolworth Limited, Weathervane Farm, and Softway). http://www.logolounge.com/designers/

How hard is your community logo working to differentiate you? Do you have a family of logos? If so, take another look at that family and again, ask yourself:

• Is there a parent that the rest of the family must relate to?
• Do they work together? Or are they divisive?
• Do they represent the family well? Or are there some you're embarrassed to be seen in public with?
• Are they memorable?
• Are they recognizable as family, even to strangers?
• Do their own personalities shine through even as they represent the greater family unit?
• Are they flexible enough to mix and mingle with all different types?