A vote for the Government to adopt a single identity

Signing the infamous fullpage Visiting the Countryside advertisements in the light of the foot and mouth outbreak, there are no less than nine logos for Government departments or Government-funded organisations, in addition to one for a union. All of them are different.

Not so long ago I remember reading lots about rebranding Britain. It appears that members of our feeble Government have become branding loons.

Ask any department or Government body how much of our money they spend to create this visual garbage (and why) and it is impossible to get a coherent answer.

So, particularly at this time, the question should be raised, does the Government really need so much branding, especially in this noisy, incoherent, expensive way? And how much damage to the design industry are the final manifestations committing?

My point of view is clear. The Government needs a single, once and for all, stop the rot, clear, consistent, economic visual identity – nothing more and nothing less than a good, straightforward intelligent design solution. Is any single person within Government capable of bringing the whole circus together long enough to agree?

I suspect not and so these silly little vanity branding exercises, seem destined to proliferate for the foreseeable future – a shameful waste of our taxes and talents.

As for any country being a brand Oh please, you need to get out more.

Rodney Mylius

Designer and resident of Rye, East Sussex (in the UK countryside)

rodney.mylius@interbrand.com