There is no better example of how a logo can capture the imagination of your target audience and even exist beyond your own communication than the I love NY campaign. You see this logo everywhere and the font, format, colors and concept have been used again and again by others on tee shirts, coffee mugs blog posts and even in fine art.

The city of London is seeking a similarly iconic branding idea for itself and the outpouring of ideas from all corners of the design community have been really fascinating. Fascinating because of the sheer volume of interest, but also because of the creative and conceptual level of the dialogue. Take a few minutes to review the entries, their ideas and the comments of others on these ideas here and here. The concepts volunteered by the bidders are excellent. Many are building from the simplicity of the ubiquitous underground logo and everyone is looking for a show stopper like the I love NY logo.

One very interesting thing emerging during this debate is wether a logo is the main goal or not. One excellent bidder emphasized their system that included a simple graphic bar, unique typeface and use suggestions instead of a simple logo concept. Use and placement are very important of course and rules of use and placement will be a part of the final design concept, but are they more important than the logo itself?