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LA's New Logo Takes Us Back To The '80s
Last week, the Board of Tourism unveiled L.A.'s new logo.
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Courtesy of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
)
L.A. has a new logo and it looks straight off of an '80s vaporwave album cover. The Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board unveiled its new logo last week, inspired by the city’s vibrant history and diverse cultural landscape, according to designers at Studio Number One.
Trying to encapsulate a city of 4 million people into one logo was a challenge presented to famed L.A. artist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One (where he serves as creative director) and design firm House Industries. They were inspired by L.A.'s natural landscape and cultural markers.
The font style itself was inspired by “classic art deco, hand-painted signage, and Mexican restaurant scripts,” the colors by the gradients in L.A.’s iconic sunsets, according to Fairey.
“The point was to make it open to interpretation for different people, and keep it distinct from what other cities are doing,” Fairey said.
The colorful logo was created in part to appeal to Gen Z and millennials looking to get out of the house and travel as pandemic restrictions are easing.
But that logo is ripped from the 90s
— stacy-marie ishmael (@s_m_i) July 6, 2021
The new design has sparked debate on Twitter, with users saying it looks “ripped from the '90s,” others saying it gave them “the urge to shop for a pair of L.A. Gear high tops.”
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This logo is not the first city-commissioned piece of art for Fairey, who designed posters for the city’s mask-wearing campaign and limited edition library cards for the L.A. Public Library.
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