Pentagram's Explanation of the LOGO
From the designer of the logo - some of the logo's look better in their work - and the abbreviated logo with a different color - but really?
New Work: Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the U.S.’ oldest and largest Division I college athletic association. Founded in 1896, the conference is comprised of schools located mainly in the Midwest and includes world-class academic institutions such as Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Big Ten schools compete at the highest level of NCAA competition in basketball and football, and over the past decade the Big Ten has led all conferences with national titles in different sports including volleyball, track and field, cross country, wrestling, hockey, soccer, tennis and golf. Despite its name, the conference has included 11 member schools since Penn State joined in 1990, and it will add University of Nebraska – Lincoln as its 12th member in July 2011.
Pentagram’s Michael Gericke (a graduate of the University of Wisconsin) and Michael Bierut (husband of 30 years to an Ohio State alumna) have designed the new logo for the conference, announced today. The conference’s previous logo hid an “11” in the negative space around the “T” in “Ten.” The new logo evolved from this use of negative space and is built on the conference’s iconic name without reference to the number of member institutions. “Seeing two numbers at once is clever, but it means redesigning the logo every time the conference expands,” says Bierut. “It was time for something direct and simple.” The resulting logo features contemporary collegiate lettering with an embedded numeral “10” in the word “BIG,” which allows fans to see “BIG” and “10” in a single word.
“The new logo was developed to symbolize the conference’s future, as well as its heritage and tradition of competition,” says Gericke. “Going forward, fans will know The Big Ten will always be the Big Ten.”
“The new Big Ten logo provides a contemporary identifying mark unifying twelve outstanding institutions,” said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. “It conveys some elements from the past while simultaneously introducing new features. We think the new logo is fun and has something for everyone.”
December 14th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
The author lost me at:
...world-class academic institutions such as Ohio State, Michigan State...
December 14th, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
...world-class academic institutions and also Ohio State, Michigan State...
December 15th, 2010 at 1:00 AM ^
Wow, they had the balls to put in MSU and leave out Michigan. That has to be a typo.
December 14th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
Everyone will eventually get used to this design, and it will be like it never changed in the first place.
And so flow the sands of time, erasing our memories, replacing them with . . . . the present.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:37 PM ^
Agreed....
Now if they had only named the Divisions "RO*TEL" and "Velveeta" ...
December 15th, 2010 at 2:13 AM ^
The problem is that the Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Our new logo is a bit off and the division names are terrible.
Last week I was in Kentucky (had a fantastic time) and I was just reading a University of Kentucky blog about the Big Ten division names. It was a bit painful to read. I'd rather not reference their suggestions. (I now know what Luke Wilson's character in Idiocracy felt like.) My point is that the Big Ten is a highly respected conference with history and these changes are not getting us any more respect.
December 15th, 2010 at 1:43 PM ^
I thought that the most stinging were:
Vanity and Hubris
Pomp and Circumstance
How can these names do anything other than make the B1G Ten look elitist?
December 14th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
context indeed.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:03 PM ^
a 6 instead of a 0.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:16 PM ^
I still see a G.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:25 PM ^
I see a shit bad embarrassing logo that appears to be designed by a couple of 7th graders with photoshop on their dad's PC and 15 minutes to kill before class.
December 15th, 2010 at 12:07 AM ^
I am of the opinion that a couple of 7th graders would design a far superior logo in 15 minutes.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:03 PM ^
maybe they're just waiting for a 16 team league...
December 15th, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
So what does our new logo look more like? A 12 team conference, or this?-
December 15th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
I like it. Prefer the normal blue color.
Fuzy247's is cool too
December 14th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^
Honestly, how do you include Michigan State in world class academic institutions but not Michigan? The only Big Ten school academically superior to Michigan is Northwestern. As mentioned above, that was the point I stopped reading as well.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:47 PM ^
And then notice that Wisconsin's main rivals, Minnesota and Iowa, were also left out.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^
be. Why the Conference would let that stand defies logic. The more I think about Delaney's "something for everyone", the madder I get. The something for me will be remembering this, and the sorry excuse for a logo will forever remind me of it.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
I wouldn't just concede that Northwestern is "academically superior." Particularly when it is qualified as "world-class," it might be good to expand your research beyond the slop US News and World Report throws in front of you.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html
#15 Michigan
#25 Northwestern
Go Blue!
December 14th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
It was their best effort.
I'm neutral on it.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
"So, we totally thought it was due next week, but the conference was all like, 'no, it's due tomorrow, and we won't grant any extensions.' So we had to throw something together, cause we can't have an F on our transcript."
December 14th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
Thank you, that was my first impression also.
Then you get to the part about the owner/alums backgrounds. Sneeeeeeeeeeeeecky Wisky, tOsu tie ins.
My second thought was "M is not mentioned. Ding, ding, ding, ding. I see what happened there!
December 14th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
Those were my thoughts when I went back to read it as well.
When a designer has to explain something, they have already failed. I think the new PAC10/12 logo has set the standard, and the B1G logo looks pathetic in comparison.
December 15th, 2010 at 1:34 AM ^
New PAC 10 logo is far better than their old sunshine logo.
I'm grateful that the Big Ten logo doesn't have a bunch of swooshes. Just because it worked for Nike doesn't mean every company needs to put a swoosh into their logo.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
There you have it- the direct path usually taken to the land of bland and boring.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:14 PM ^
Thoughtless (at least mostly, usually).
Lowest common denominator.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:07 PM ^
I honestly don't mind the one word B1G logo in two colors, like on the flash drive.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
That's because it's a 1G drive. I see what they did there.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:14 PM ^
The multi-color one is much better than the one announced yesterday - just having some contrast.... And frankly, after the dust settles soon, will it really matter?
I do not worry about the Big 10 logo, only Big 10 championships. The name for the divisions? Stupid - perhaps - but who really cares. What matters is that we always play OSU. Besides, in a few years, the division names will be sold corporately...it is inevitable.
December 15th, 2010 at 1:27 AM ^
for Rotel and Velveeta afterall?
December 15th, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
And at that point, anybody with heartburn or lactose intolerance will probably just up and peace out
December 14th, 2010 at 10:00 PM ^
Much better than the full version... but still way too much like Gatorade.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^
that should just be the logo. screw the "ten" part.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
Here's my 5 minutes of work in paint with a little modification. I think the G as a 0 thing is too much of a stretch. Just make the logo B10. I darkened up the blue and found a font that looked ok. I don't love this, but I think it's better.
Uploaded with ImageShack.usDecember 15th, 2010 at 1:32 AM ^
... and it looks like BIO like Biology, so naturally we should call the two divisions:
Methane and Ethanol
or Beef and Cheese
or Corn and Beans
December 15th, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
Spicy tomatoes and processed cheese-substitute?
/dead horse
December 14th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^
all I can see is a plagiarized Gatorade G Series logo.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
Bingo!
December 14th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
The logo is just horrible. Can they please admit they fucked up and change it?
December 14th, 2010 at 9:13 PM ^
December 14th, 2010 at 9:14 PM ^
It just isn't. One doesn't see what they say one is meant to see. It's a failure. A dog's breakfast. It looks like ass.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:20 PM ^
“Going forward, fans will know The Big Ten will always be the Big Ten.”
Oh, I get it. That's why they only mentioned 7 of 12 the schools, and three of them twice.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:23 PM ^
I'll admit it looks way better on the court than it does standing alone.
Still awful.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:32 PM ^
Did I just read the word "academics" in the same sentence as Ohio State and Michigan State? Is this from The Onion?
December 14th, 2010 at 9:37 PM ^
Is it really that big of a deal that it sucks? So long as these designers are not hired by UM to mess with crap, then it is ok by me... Just do not mess with the UM brand.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:38 PM ^
It looks like it took 5 minutes to make. and it doesn't look like B10 at all
December 14th, 2010 at 9:39 PM ^
A G isn't going to be seen as a 0, no matter how hard you try. It's going to be seen as a 6 because that's what it most closely resembles. Stop trying to convince the rest of the world that reality isn't real.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:41 PM ^
Oooh, a flash drive!
December 14th, 2010 at 9:42 PM ^
Just because they hid the 11 in the last logo doesn't mean you have to hide some numbers in this logo, Mr. Gericke.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:43 PM ^
How do you think it compares to the old logo?