logos: Making a strong mark- P2: when it comes to creating strong logos, design and implementation are the last steps along a long design of a visual inentity essential to the maket-ing of any brand because logos are maketing tools | 27 Arts and Leisure Client Manhattan Films New York New York USA Agency The Missive New York New York Manhattan The Challenge Creative crutches are not limited to the realm of writers. Designers can also fall into the trap of utilizing cliché imagery to convey a thought. Filmmaking is a subject fraught with visual islands filmstrips clapboards cameras projectors black backgrounds. This was the first challenge faced by The Missive in the design of Manhattan Films identity. The second was the client s request to incorporate a visual created by the film company s president himself. Originally commissioned to design the company s website The Missive team offered to update the logo in an effort to achieve overall visual cohesiveness. 7 ie client came with the basis for this logo the ccn. The Missive subtly bowed to tradition adding the sprocket boles of a filmship to the identity for the him production company. The Process To convey Manhattan Films mission to acquire develop and produce a broad range of theater and television content The Missive subtly bowed to the use of one traditional visual island in its Bodoni and proprietary dot-matrix font type treatment the sprocket holes found on the edges of a filmstrip. But instead of attempting to parallel the concept of the ball element they used a contrasting contextual approach to better effect. The Missive drew inspiration from surrealist Rene Magritte s paintings floating the original logo like an all-seeing eye over a cityscape. This secondary icon is employed as a stand-alone on the company s letterhead and website. The Result Although Manhattan Films website was the primary reason for and application of The Missive s logo design update the logo has since been adapted for use on the company s stationery program and presentation materials. However it is as background on the Web pages that the logo really comes to life in myriad variations accompanied by a variety of complementary art. Using Bodoni and a proprietary .
