The Assignment
The Hansen Ford Lincoln logo has been in place for over 20 years. However, there were issues with the files and design that made it troublesome to use:
- The dealership was missing a proper set of files, which created extra work anytime a marketing piece was designed.
- There were technical issues with the files the dealership had which made it hard to reproduce in some mediums and ads.
- The Lincoln logo was out of date on the original logo files.
- The design itself was becoming a bit dated, and needed modernization.
The Challenge
Three most challenging aspects of this project were:
- Maintaining the brand recognition the original logo had created over the last 20 years
- Working with a wordmark based on a fluid script font
- Not requiring Hansen Ford Lincoln to re-print or redesign all of their signage & marketing all at once
Our Solution
nine10 decided the best route to go was to modernize and improve the existing logo without fundamentally changing it. Our team dug in and a comparison of the original and new logo is shown below:
The biggest challenge in this project was the detail work involved in cleaning up the scripted typeface the logo uses. Handwritten typefaces are the hardest to design because the smallest tweak in a curve can totally throw the entire design off balance. The thickness and direction of each stroke can greatly change the character of the font. This is where we spent most of our time, because we wanted the new logo to exude quality from afar as well as when blown up on a huge billboard.
If you’re not paying attention, the differences may not even be noticeable. But if you look closely at the curves of the revised lettering, you’ll see there’s a bit difference in overall quality & smoothness of the logo. By making subtle changes like this we were able to meet all of the goals of the assignment:
- By simplifying the logo, it can work in a single color, making it easy and cost-effective to reproduce in any medium;
- By not fundamentally altering the design, Hansen Ford can integrate this into their marketing over time, and the new logo retains the recognition they have built over 20 years;
- By generating a full set of proper files, the client now has all of the resources needed to efficiently use the logo in their marketing;
- By cleaning it up, we have both modernized the logo, and greatly improved its quality, which has subtle but important effects on a customer’s first impression of the business.