Landor’s Peter Knapp calls for ‘properly branded’ London
Peter Knapp, Landor’s creative director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says the London identity competition is ‘necessary’, despite flaws in the commissioning process.
The Greater London Authority came under fire from consultancies last year after asking for free creative work in the initial stages.
It is now understood to have shortlisted two groups – Studio Conran and Dragon Rouge, although Dragon Rouge declines to confirm its involvement. The new identity was scheduled to be delivered on 1 November last year, but it is understood a winner hadn’t been appointed by then.
Writing in the next issue of Design Week, Knapp says, ‘Irrespective of the predictable industry bleating about the Brand for London competition, the fact that it has highlighted London’s need for a properly defined brand is reason enough for it to be necessary.’
Knapp says any brand should take into account iconic designs such as black taxis, the Tube system and St Paul’s Cathedral. He says, ‘It would be a complex, but hugely valuable exercise to create a much-needed clarity around the current complicated communication hierarchies, one that could make the city far more navigable to all concerned.’
Read Knapp’s comments in full in the next issue of Design Week, out tomorrow.
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Why do we need a common brand for London, Surely having one set of design rules which everyone has to work arround will just stifle the creativity of Individual brands.
I’m not trying to say that our design agencies are not good enough to make their own of a common theme.
However surely they are good enough to keep coming up with good new ideas that reflect the Capitol in the best possible way and still look good next to everything else that’s going on.
Isn’t this what should be encouraged, what’s wrong with a little diversity ?