FormFiftyFive™

Inspiration / Paul Rand – Ford logo

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What do you think?

Sean
8th Feb 2008
5:23 pm

1. Odd you post this, we were only talking about this the other day in work! Really ahead of it’s time, this.

   Reminds me a little of the new durex logo…


t walsh
8th Feb 2008
5:23 pm

2. who decided not to use this?
   it’s fantastic!


Glenn
8th Feb 2008
5:28 pm

3. Now that you say it Sean it sure does look a bit like Durex!?

   I do prefer it to the current Ford logo but I don’t think that either are really a mark that works well for a car.


diogo
8th Feb 2008
6:32 pm

4. It seems the link its not working… anyway, i always liked this logo, ford should have adopted it.


draku
8th Feb 2008
6:56 pm

5. Beacause there is a human in there ) The letter O + R make the body. Now tell me what the letter F and D do to him ?


Guy McLaren
8th Feb 2008
7:15 pm

6. Can I say I am not surprised it was not used. It’s bad.


Jack
8th Feb 2008
8:53 pm

7. It looks a bit rough now, but i’m sure in 66′ this was a pretty visionary stuff. Well ahead of it’s time, given half the students at uni churn out similarly styled vector designs 42 years on!


Jess
8th Feb 2008
10:41 pm

8. looks weak, also u had to use the 66’s style to sell cars at that time maybe…


jason
9th Feb 2008
6:40 pm

9. You know what Ford needs right now?
   some serious re-branding… and to start making cars we will buy.

   I say they start with switching to Rand’s durex logo ; )


ray
9th Feb 2008
8:17 pm

10. Good start…and honestly anything would be better than the current Ford logo. I drive a Ranger and seriously can stand their logo. Some of their newer cars are fairly cool but that logo just kills the design!


Mr eel
10th Feb 2008
9:57 am

11. It’s great.

    I think it would be perfect right now precisely because it doesn’t look like something you’d see on a car.

    Ford’s current branding is arse. So pedestrian.


Paul
11th Feb 2008
1:21 pm

12. This must be a hoax.
    How come this proposal is available as vector graphic? who digitized it?
    Look at the thickness of the ‘F’, the left wing of it, this is absolutely not the signature of Rand. The o, the r, everything. I’m sure Rand wouldn’t mess up like this.


Jack
11th Feb 2008
1:53 pm

13. I’ve said it looks like the vector work of a 21 century student and given it was designed (apparently) in 66′ it must have been a head of its time.

    Maybe it IS the work of a 21st century student…


Mark
12th Feb 2008
10:06 am

14. This identity was always a piece of genius, especially given Fords heritage mark. Even today, the modern script face and its relationship throughout each letter form is quite brilliant. Its a piece of typography thats transcends time. A classic Mr Rand, just like all your others.

    My suggestion to anyone not familiar with Paul Rands work, go and find out about him, he is the reason why we have brands and graphic design today.


Glenn
15th Feb 2008
2:04 pm

15. Found a nice flickr pool of Paul Rand’s work.


Sally
19th Feb 2008
8:15 am

16. Hey, I’m a new budding typographer (on a uni design course) so I’m only just starting tp learn the terminology behind it all. My thoughts on the logo are pretty much what has already been mentioned. However, even though it wasn’t used I think that it has a certain classic style about it. Even now, the way in which the spur on the bowl of the ‘D’ is used to finish off the ‘r’ I think is genius! Also, I like how the extension of the ‘F’ is used to fill some unused space, as well as acting as a boarder in which the whole design fits into. I’m designing some typography myself at the moment and all I can say is that it has inspired me!!!!


Gabriel
20th Feb 2008
12:19 pm

17. ORAL-B


Michelle
26th Feb 2008
8:02 am

18. Whoever made the new logo took some ideas from Rand because the new one has “Ford” enclosed in a circle.


Trish
26th Feb 2008
2:44 pm

19. I don’t like the logo upon first seeing it; however, after looking closely at it, there is much going on. You can pick out an abstract vehicle in the way the ‘o’ and ‘d’ make the tires. There does seem to be an abstract person in there in a couple of different ways. The more you look at it, the more you see. No, I don’t think it would work on a car, but it is genius and ahead of its time as stated.

    At least Ford’s current logo doesn’t look like someone in a sombrero like Toyota’s does. Toyota’s current logo is my least favorite car logo of all time.


Lech
20th Apr 2008
9:51 pm

20. Hi,

    Dear collegues, it is much deeper thought in Ford’s logo then you all think… Firstly, at 60′ Ford logo was already outdated, secondly, Rand’s idea was to introduce Art Nouveau elements, Hnry Ford III, rejected this new design on the grounds that it is too radical. Thirdly, an oval shale and are to recall a racing track… Paul Rand has printed in offset a whole presentation booklet. None of todays designed would go so far in time, efford and costs to try convince a client…

    regards,
    Lech


Malikov
26th Jun 2008
4:29 am

21. I think this Rand’s logo would be a great design for some high-ranking bicycle race like tour de france, or a logo for a company that makes sport tires. Actually I see a man in glasses watching F1. Not Ford at all. Ford’s current logo on a car seems out of place, to me, and the designers trying to shape a ford around the oval — pitiful. But I like the current logo. It’s simple and readable. The biggest problem that I see with it is the blue background. This rather provincial idea to bind logo to certain colors to produce some modern coat-of-arms with some new age heraldy is way out-of-date. Cheers


JR
8th Jan 2009
1:27 am

22. I’m a ford guy. So I love it. It may have been too big a risk for a company steeped in a family name. They already had the youth market with the Mustang, whay go after it with your whole brand ID.


Calvin H
1st Apr 2009
7:30 pm

23. He gave Ford what they wanted and they rejected the logo. They had told him to design something that says innovative. Instead they went with something that says quality (the current script font). It goes to show how clients shift their goals (or further realize them) in the middle of a logo design.
    Calvin


Dan
11th Nov 2009
8:17 pm

24. I don’t think there is anything nice about this. Almost all of the negative space and counter forms feel awkward to me. Ford’s logo works for me as is.


Chris
12th Nov 2009
11:45 am

25. It looks like the OR is getting spit-roasted by the F and D. Might have washed in the 60’s, but probably would have had to be changed anyway now

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