Voxpop

BT had a perfectly good one that could have come full circle better than the man smoking a pipe, which I doubt ever will. The Leica brand ID is dodgy when you see it alone, but the products and association around it are classy. Because of its history it works.’

Andy Altman, partner, Why Not Associates

‘Two identities come to mind, from completely opposite ends of the design spectrum. The first is the Spratts dogfood logo. It was the first marque I remember seeing as a child and has been a profound influence on me as a graphic designer. Although designed in the early 1930s, it still looks fresh today. The second is the Pan Am corporate identity, which has a timeless elegance and sense of occasion lacking in many modern airline identities.’

Geoff Halpin, creative director, Identica

‘Some logos transcend design criticism and become cultural icons. I remember being a kid in the long hot summers of the 1970s, sitting in the local Wimpy bar. The logo – which featured white type in a white bun – was a high street symbol of joy in a pre-brand era, with the promise of fried food and plastic tomatoes. Would I revive it? Some things are best just remembered.’

Jason Gregory, director, GBH

‘True style never really goes out of fashion. I love great ideas and Herb Lubalin’s Mother & Child and the Woolmark are classics. Paul Rand’s identities for IBM and Westinghouse are exactly the same today as the day they left his drawing board – not a tweak in over 40 years. Any of these identities would sit happily on a T-shirt in a trendy surf shop today. In 1969 I was impressed with the Pan Am identity, shown in all its glory in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s ironic that now we’ve reached 2001, Virgin sports 1940s pin-ups on its fuselages.’

Gary Cooke, creative director, The Open Agency