Every section in your organization wants their own unique logo designed by the PAO. Many of these sections have specific ideas of what they’d like to see in their own logo; others only know they want something in order to stand apart from the rest of the unit.
These teams’ leaders consider this a legitimate request – separate logos for the S4, or air guys, or Chaplain, or whatever, in theory build a sense of team within these smaller groups and establish recognition across the organization. High-performing teams want to be able to be recognized as such.
However, these requests will sidetrack from your overarching branding and culture. We’ve dealt with special logo requests for years. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way from branding experts and artists.
- Build the brand you have, and let your one official crest represent all of the organization’s elements. An NFL team doesn’t have separate logos for the defensive line or special teams … they all represent one team. The elements in your organization also represent one team, with one mission. Why would they want to present themselves as visibly disparate efforts? You’re the command’s Public Affairs Officer, so it’s your responsibility to help everyone buy in to the command’s official look. In some cases, such as most Brigade Combat Team PAOs, it may be your job to buy in to your higher headquarter’s official look.
- Don’t bastardize, stretch or distort your logo. Let it stand alone and speak for itself, always. Special holiday color schemes or Santa hats? Leave your logo out of it and save it for other design elements. Overlaying a doughnut graphic on your logo for a tweet on National Doughnut Day? Not in our military.
- Beware the logo of logos. In one image, you’re not going to be able to pay homage to the ancient Spartans, the OSS, FORSCOM leadership, your commander’s rank, the NCO Corps, the airborne wings, your five multinational partners, and the country in which you’re operating. It’ll be a jumbled mess. Going back to the NFL example, use your organization’s one simple crest everywhere and let everyone love the way it represents their mission.
- Lay off the Photoshop effects. Your existing crest doesn’t need to be 3D, or get cluttered with gradients, drop shadows, and other unnecessary styling.
- Use the resources available. In the U.S. Army, hit the Institute of Heraldry and the Enterprise Branding Portal.
Use your one official logo, embrace it, put it somewhere everyone can find and use it, then spend the rest of your time protecting America.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett, DVIDS)
