Mayor keeps it Unreal for campaign

London Mayor Ken Livingstone kicks off his campaign for re-election tomorrow, with branding by Unreal.

The London consultancy won the work last month on the basis of its relationship with the Greater London Authority, the Government body comprising the Mayor’s office and the London Assembly.

According to Livingstone’s communications adviser Harry Barlow, Unreal’s brief was to create a ‘lively’ campaign identity. ‘We wanted something that wasn’t too dull or corporate, particularly given that its London audience is used to an input of exciting stuff on a daily basis,’ he explains.

Unreal’s head of design Brian Eagle, who is leading the project, says the campaign brand is about celebrating London’s vibrancy. Its visual identity consequently features ‘fun’ line illustrations of London people and events, produced in collaboration with illustrator David Bray.

‘The feeling was that photography is too specific, whereas illustration can be more general and inclusive,’ says Eagle.

He adds that the purple-and-red ‘rosette’ logo, a nod to Livingstone’s traditional campaign colour and the Labour Party, provides a holding place for the campaign name, Ken 4 London. The group has also devised a strapline, ‘Vote Ken June Ten’.

Applications include promotional materials such as posters, banners and badges, as well as stationery, political broadcasting, advertising and a website, www.ken4london.org.uk.

Livingstone’s campaign launches on Thursday evening at the Tricycle Theatre in London’s Kilburn.