Bengaluru Logo. You heard it right. The city got its own brand identity. Bengaluru, famously known as the city of start-ups, has once again proved that it is a forerunner. The importance of a logo in branding is a very common knowledge among the business persons but it is not a trend in India to develop a city as a brand. By launching the logo, the city has become the first city in India to have a city logo and a brand.
Bangalore bid adieu to the year 2017 with a shining new brand logo with the hopes of boosting the tourism of the country and standing in the row with the global cities like New York, Paris, Amsterdam and Singapore in the year 2018 and beyond.
Bengaluru Logo – What inspired the city to have its own brand identity?
Bangalore is already a city known globally as an IT-hub and as the city of start-ups. It also receives a large number of foreign tourists annually. Then why does it felt the need to have a city logo?
Well, Bengaluru logo competition was an initiative of the Bengaluru’s tourism department that wants the city to be one of the best smart cities in India. They say that although the city receives tourists from all over the world it is seen only as an IT-hub rather than a full-package of tourism. The department felt the need to rework on the city’s image and develop it as a hot tourist destination. The idea is to develop Bengaluru as a global brand with its rich history, culture, arts and cuisines in addition to its image as the IT-hub.
The tourism department of the city wants that when a tourist goes back to their own place after visiting the city they should have something that can show Bangalore’s exclusivity. And what can be better than the selfie with the giant logo of the city or gifts like t-shirts, coffee mugs etc. with the printed city logo on it?
How did the city come up with its logo?
After deciding that the city is to have a brand identity, the next step was to have a logo designed. The basic rule of creating a logo is that it must reflect the brand’s soul and identity. So, it needed to reflect the soul and identity of the city, Bengaluru. And therefore an open contest was organized asking the Bengalurians to create a logo that can reflect their very own city.
In response to the Bengaluru logo contest, 1,350 entries got submitted for the final selection. But, there has to be only one winner. And, it was a creative designing start-up named Nammur!
The logo designed by the Nammur was unveiled during the Namma Bengaluru Habba, an open street festival held in front of Vidhan Soudha, the state assembly structure. The festival was characterized by the food stalls focusing on green initiatives and the cultural programmes all related to Karnataka’s own art and culture.
What’s special in the chosen Bengaluru logo?
The identity designed by the group Nammur that is selected and officially accepted as Bengaluru’s city logo has some striking features that undoubtedly make it a winning entry. The team says they have put almost one year to come up with the final design and their effort reflects in their work.
It is part English and part Kannada reflecting the true identity of the city. This mixed typography of two languages shows that the silicon valley of India is a city that is global as well as local in its culture and lifestyle. You can clearly see this feature of the city while strolling through its roads. Bengalurians have embraced global standards without losing their cultural identity.
‘Be’ and ‘U’ of the logo has been highlighted by using red color. This is the main theme and thought behind the logo. The creators of the logo say Bengaluru is a city that allows you to be you. This is the true spirit of the city; it does not try to mold a person according to itself. Being an IT-hub the city is full of families coming from different regions of the country and the city has accepted them all without discrimination.
Studies have proved that having a logo boosts a city’s image and attracts more global tourists. Cities like Singapore and New York have evidently seen multi-fold increase in revenue through tourism after launching them as a brand. Let’s hope Bengaluru too would experience an increase in tourism and will be able to make a mark as a global brand.
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