In return for $90,000 (or is it really $140,000), the City of Brownsville an Austin public relations firm with ties to Texas State Rep. Rene Oliveira has designed a new logo to "brand" Brownsville, leaning heavily on the idea that Elon Musk's SpaceX will land human beings on Mars.
Simplistic? Yes.
Fantastic? Yes.
But already city commissioner Rose Gowen has placed her stamp of approval on the design (played not very prominently on the front page of the Brownsville Herald today) and encourages the rest of us to follow her lead.But, as is usually the cse with Gowen's projects such as the Lincoln Park giveaway, the logo is a done deal and the city commission and staff just want the public's rubber stamp of approval.
The city – after the logo was revealed by unofficial sources – is asking residents for input on the logo before it is presented for “public hearing and consideration” during the city commission’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 15.
The Herald reports that the logo was developed by Hahn Public Communications as part of a nearly $90,000 contract to rebrand the city. If it’s adopted,it will replace “On the Border, By the Sea,” the city’s official logo in use since the mid-1960s.
One of Hahn's associates is none other than Ronnie Oliveira, a cousin of Rene Oliveira.
Hahn says the logo "aims to convey the notion that Brownsville is a “portal, a door, an entrance, a gate” that “whispers a promise of change."
The logo incorporates the shape of Texas, with the “V” in Brownsville corresponding with the state’s southern tip. The bottom of the “V” appears to emit a multi-colored spark.
“Owning the tip of Texas within the stronghold of the Valley activates a certain spark that continues to ignite Brownsville,” reads the description. “The shape of Texas accentuated by the vibrancy of color at its base represents much more than simple geography, but rather represents the power, pride, biculturalism, growth/potential and brightness of future that come together to form what Brownsville is — both today and tomorrow.”
Of course, as with most huckster calims, it does no such thing.
It is simplistic, cheap and superficial.
But for $90,000 – or is it $140,000? – it's worth some flowery words and soap-box rhetoric. There go $140,000 (or is it $90,000?).
The logo incorporates the shape of Texas, with the “V” in Brownsville corresponding with the state’s southern tip. The bottom of the “V” appears to emit a multi-colored spark.
“Owning the tip of Texas within the stronghold of the Valley activates a certain spark that continues to ignite Brownsville,” reads the description. “The shape of Texas accentuated by the vibrancy of color at its base represents much more than simple geography, but rather represents the power, pride, biculturalism, growth/potential and brightness of future that come together to form what Brownsville is — both today and tomorrow.”
Of course, as with most huckster calims, it does no such thing.
It is simplistic, cheap and superficial.
But for $90,000 – or is it $140,000? – it's worth some flowery words and soap-box rhetoric. There go $140,000 (or is it $90,000?).
2 comments:
You are right, seems that this logo is "a done deal" and the public meeting is only for show. The city commission, led by Mayor Tony "No Transparency" Martinez chose the cousin of Rene Oliviera to receive $140,000 to present the city with $15 worth of effort (probably took one hour, the basis for the $15).
The elites of the city take care of each other and each other's family members. "Ignite the Future" doesn't make me want to go to Brownsville now. What a dismal and dis-inviting logo for this city. It's a downer.
Congratulatons, city of Brownsville, for giving the local creative community a chance to come up with ideas about what best reflects the character of where they live. And it won't cost you $90,000 or $140,000 or whatever you spent giving it away to out of towners who don't get it and give you something generic. Igniting the future of Texas? Really? Cheeh and Chong could have come up with that in a moment of inspiration. That $90,000 or whatever you spent can be put to better use improving parks, fixing holes, building a new community swimming pool, whatever, instead of shamelessly giving taxpayers money away as part of some long-standing quid pro quo among politicians and their relatives. I bet the city will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of creative talent available here and to be had at a fraction of the cost, if at all, of what you gave away.
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