New Italy Logo: Not Bello

Here’s the thing: Italy is one of the most easily recognizable countries on the planet.
It is shaped like a boot.

Italy is also known for lots of big, easily recognizable monuments (the Coliseum, the leaning tower, Milan’s Duomo) so you’d think creative types would have it easy when it comes to creating a new logo.

But no: the image meant to promote Italian tourism in the world is a lowercase “i” with a sickly-looking green blob next to it.

What’s it supposed to be? If you believe the agency geniuses who won the logo contest: “strengthen the image of a country rich in natural beauty and at the same time complete the colors of the flag.”

Whatever. The “i” is black with a red dot so, technically, we’ve got black, red and green. A nod to Italy’s fascist past?

The slogan “Italy leaves its mark” is also cryptic; it is not clear how a country represented by a squiggle can leave much of a mark.

Apparently, the new symbol did find favor with Italians asked to opine on it.

As much as stereotypes about the Bel Paese annoy me, I’d take a spaghetti-and-mandolin type image over this.

It’s as if one of the most style-conscious countries on the globe went to the UN clothed in a mismatched track suit.

6 thoughts on “New Italy Logo: Not Bello

  1. Pingback: Not IT my name : Creative Design ::

  2. Uh, a “black i” ? oookay, and I’m supposed to know its Italy? After I’ve seen dozens of knew ads about italy…………..right?
    then we could use a “k” for ‘kali-faw-nya’ !

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