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A MARKETING expert has questioned the choice of Gold Coast City Council's controversial logo revealed today, part of the new We’re the Gold Coast. Full stop brand.
The ‘red full stop’ will replace the previous gold and blue GCCC logo which will be incorporated city-wide, however opinion is divided amongst businesses and the community.
The Council invested $180,000 in its creation, with a further $500,000 for its implementation.
Rebecca Madsen, director of Becca Marketing on the Gold Coast is critical of the logo.
“I don’t understand what the red dot represents,” says Madsen.
“It looks like it could have been done in a Word document, and means nothing to me about the Gold Coast.”
In a statement released today, Mayor Tom Tate says, “our new city brand is about more than just a new logo. It’s about creating a consistent Gold Coast City identity that we use locally, nationally and internationally.”
The Council compared the red dots to the Nike tick or Westpac ‘W’ simple but effective approach.
“The “Gold Coast full stop” logo has been designed to reflect a proud, unapologetic, independent city that offers opportunity and lifestyle,” says Tate.
Development started in 2010 when the business community saw the need to address negative perceptions and restore the Gold Coast image.
Griffith University, the Gold Coast Suns, Surfers Paradise Alliance, and Gold Coast Tourism have decided to join the image.
Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter says it will continue to use the existing brand – Gold Coast Famous for Fun, which has attracted 11 million visitors to the city annually.
“We will however work with Council to integrate the city mark,” says Winter.
Nationally, Qantas is incorporating the logo in its campaign to increase flights to the Gold Coast from all major cities. A life-size Qantas jet was sculpted from sand in Sydney’s Circular Quay today, awarding free Gold Coast flights to some visitors.
Despite mixed feelings city-wide, the brand is being rolled out over 18 months at major events, starting with the Bleach Festival in two weeks.
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