GLA set to unveil budget marque

The Greater London Authority, the 25-strong London assembly headed by London mayor Ken Livingstone, is aiming to unveil its first corporate identity at the end of the month. Its designer has not yet been revealed.

“We have had creative ideas put to us and are in the process of selecting the most suitable one,” says a GLA spokesman. He confirms one particular company, understood not to be a dedicated design consultancy, has created the GLA’s new identity. It replaces the existing temporary logo, designed in-house, which features an outline of the River Thames.

“The new marque aims to be clear and simple. People should be able to associate it immediately with London itself, and not just the GLA,” he adds.

A spokesman for Ken Livingstone says an identity concept is being developed and aims to be unveiled at the end of November.

The spokesman says it is important the GLA is not seen to be “wasting people’s money on yet another expensive corporate brand identity”. The authority is seeking a cost-effective solution.

“The identity will play three roles: position the GLA as an organisation; make Londoners feel good about themselves; and promote London abroad,” he says. He says the GLA is “bearing in mind” that the well-loved London Underground roundel is highly recognisable here and abroad – a hint that it may be incorporated to some degree in the new identity.

– A spokesman for Transport for London – the body responsible for implementing the Mayor’s transport strategy – says it will “probably put out design work to tender again” to create an all-encompassing identity for the city’s transport network.

“A new identity is still at least six months away, and we will probably ask consultancies to pitch, due to the length of time the project has taken,” he adds. He says no decision has been taken about any identity or design group.

An interim corporate identity was created by international design group Identica in September (DW 22 September), which aims to be operational until a complete review of future branding is completed.