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Iconic Brand Logo To Go Up Against Logo Giants
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This customer received 230 logo designs from 57 designers. They chose this logo design from ariana ariana as the winning design.
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US$360
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230 designs
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57 designers
Logo Design Brief
EquaShip is an national (and international) parcel delivery company that is leveling the playing field for smaller shippers and consumers who can’t get the massive 70% discounts that FedEx and UPS give to their biggest customers like Amazon. Small shippers are subsidizing large shipper discounts by paying significantly higher shipping prices. But not with EquaShip. Using our sophisticated IT platform and alternative carriers, we offer small and medium sized businesses (SMB) more reliable shipping at up to 30% discounted rates, with no minimum volumes.
Our tagline is “big shipper discounts for the rest of us”
This is an awesome opportunity for designers to get international exposure, and eventually see their design everywhere. We are looking for a logo in several forms that will stand up to and differentiate us from the iconic FedEx, UPS, and USPS logos. Unlike other industries, you will often see all the competitors logos lined up together as shipping choices. FedEx, UPS, EquaShip, USPS, DHL, etc…
The logo chosen must:
• Be able to be printed on both a white and dark background (reverse)
• Be usable in a black & white format (think shipping labels) as well as the regular colors
• Be provided in high enough resolution to be used in signage (think the side of a delivery truck)
We’ll need versions of both in the following formats:
1. Logo with tagline
2. Logo without tagline
3. Square logo mark that can serve as in identifier/picture for places like Twitter. Must be readable or identifiable at 50x50 pixels. Remember, we’ll often be a choice in shopping carts, so it needs to stand up to the competition.
4. Icon for website (could be scaled down version of the square logo mark)
5. Black and white version
For more information on the company, you can go to www.EquaShip.com.
We ARE NOT
• Trendy
• Stodgy
• Rigid
• Old school
• A flash in the pan or yet another internet startup
We ARE
• Reliable
• Smart
• Independent
• Revolutionary
• Fair
• Hip
• Honest
• A better alternative
• For the little guy
• Proud
• Technologically sophisticated
• Forthright
• Straight forward
• Quick
• Easy to use
We are a hip and smart David to the big brand unfair Goliaths … not aspiring to be, or pretending to be one of them
We are reliable, solid, dependable, and helpful
We are a champion of the people… not “the MAN”
We are an improved alternative… we do not blend in
We a great new discovery… not a UPS or FedEx wannabee
We are exciting, new, and improved… not beige, brown, or bland
We are agile… not rigid
We are for all generations, not one just a youthful one
We offer something new… not just a slightly incremental version of same old
We make things easy and transparent, we do not have hidden charges
We innovate and improve, we don’t follow
Updates
Thanks to all of you participating. I've seen some great work! Thanks!
Here are some additional thoughts on the challenge.
- Ignore the colors on our website, and on the original brief. I'm getting blue-green fatigue! Choose the colors that work best for us in your opinion as a designer.
- The logo (at least the mark) must be put in relatively the same space as would be given to UPS, FedEx etc... The longest name is FedEx with 5 letters. Other than USPS, the rest are 3 letters. UPS, TNT, DHL. I likely gave some bad advice when I said I wanted a horizontal logo. We have 8 letters. Yes, another dumb client....
Before you post your next logo, scale it next to competitive logos and see how readable the words are, and whether important design elements disappear. I have a feeling we'll need to start stacking, using more condensed typefaces, or radical kerning. - Clarity and readability is absolutely essential. Choose typefaces that are EASY to read.
- Make sure that your design elements don't overwhelm the name. If your eye is initially drawn to the design element then it is probably too strong.
- Pay attention to eyeflow. I shouldn't be starting in the middle of the name.
- Be careful your color choices don't make me think Aqua instead of Equal.
- I love creative use of typography. As long as it is extremely legible. Great type will get you places with me. Let type convey the sense of character we are looking for. Many of the designs are using very similar generic sans serif fonts. Yes these fonts convey a sense of purpose, strength, and reliability, but don't really convey Smart, Independent, Revolutionary, Hip, Fair, Honest, easy to use, etc...
- Don't be too masculine, and definitely not feminine. Neutral to slightly masculine seems about right.
- The name suggests equality. We're talking specifically about equality of pricing regardless of size. You get the same price sending 1 package, that somebody else does sending 10 packages with us. Not so with FedEx, UPS, etc... In fact big shippers get discounts up to 70% from FedEx and UPS.
The design doesn't have to revolve around the idea of equality, but the best ones I've seen contain that strong element.
- Likable. WE MUST BE LIKEABLE! APPROACHABLE. Easy to try.
- Originality/uniqueness. Aesthetically pleasing is important, but please make it specific to us. If you can use the same design for a furniture company or restaurant then it won't make it.
Best,
Josh
Added Thursday, April 14, 2011
Project Deadline Extended
Reason: I'm extending the deadline for a few days because there are a few concepts that I'd like flushed out a bit more before we try to make a decision. Sorry my comments have been brief, I've been out of town for days with no time. It is 2:34 am a I'm writing this.
If you'd like to submit another fresh design, by all means do so. I'll give it consideration. But...
If you have a design that has not been eliminated, please take my comments, and refine your design further. Often I've asked for variations on the theme you've created. Do your best to capture the brand values as stated in the brief.
Reliable, smart, revolutionary, hip, value, forthright, etc...
If you don't think that my specific suggestions or comments help you, just ignore them and do what you think is best. I'm not the designer... you are. Don't hesitate to use whatever colors you want. I just don't want to get confused with somebody else, or have a trade dress conflict.
Don't hesitate to ask questions. I'll do my best to get back to you within 12 hours max.
Thanks for your creativity! I very much appreciate it.
Added Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Extended 3 days...
If you have a design that is not eliminated, now is your chance to refine it before we make a decision. If you are newly inspired, you can submit a new concept!
Deadline is now Friday!
Thanks for your submissions!
Josh
Added Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Target Market(s)
TARGET AUDIENCE
E-commerce retailers are in our sweet spot. They are up against the FREE SHIPPING and ever increasing prices. We are their antidote to their FREE Shipping ills. All small business shippers AND consumers. Anybody can ship a package with us and save on our website, paying the same price as everybody else.
Industry/Entity Type
Shipping
Logo Text
EquaShip
Logo styles of interest
Emblem Logo
Logo enclosed in a shape
Pictorial/Combination Logo
A real-world object (optional text)
Wordmark Logo
Word or name based logo (text only)
Lettermark Logo
Acronym or letter based logo (text only)
Look and feel
Each slider illustrates characteristics of the customer's brand and the style your logo design should communicate.
Elegant
Bold
Playful
Serious
Traditional
Modern
Personable
Professional
Feminine
Masculine
Colorful
Conservative
Economical
Upmarket
Requirements
Nice to have
- THIS IS NOT A PRIORITY OR REQUIREMENT.
If it isn't obvious, the EQUA part of the name represents equality... equal. Use it for inspiration, or ignore it completely. The best will be the best with or without that concept coming through.
Should not have
- SHOULD NOT HAVE A GENERIC FEEL.
Colors we do NOT want to see in the logo
Brown and gold (UPS)
Purple/Red/Orange (FedEx),
Red and Blue (USPS)
See attached file of logos.
NO SHIPS
NO BOATS
NO TRUCKS
NO VANS
