Some are hits, most are misses.
In celebration of National Day, let us look back the past logos of each NDP and see how far Singapore design has (hopefully) progressed over the years.
Since 1998, each NDP had its own unique logo. Most of the time, design agencies are commissioned by the organising committee but in recent years, budding designers also got a chance to have their works selected for NDP. For example, last year's NDP logo was designed by an SP student who won the NDP logo design competition.
Do the math and you'll realise that there are 20 logos to be reviewed, including this year's, so I am going to split this NDP logo series into 2 parts.
Part 2 can be found here.
1998: Our Singapore, Our Future
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| This logo appears stretched out, but sadly I am unable to confirm if it is as this was the only version I could find online. |
Real-Time Strategy (RTS) gamers would see that logomark as a map of sorts, because of how closely the diamond resembles an in-game map. This thinking might be correct after all, as mainland Singapore does look like a diamond (use your imagination). The 3-shaped blue squiggle can represent a river, or the Singapore River. Alright, I might be over-thinking it :x
Cringe Factor: NA (unable to confirm if logo shown is accurate)
1999: Our People
The person on the logo reminds me of the old Health Promotion Board logo which featured realistic human silhouettes instead of the abstract shapes in the current one. The red 'ribbon' seems to be forming a heart, which is something we will see almost every year other than the crescent moon and the stars.
Cringe Factor: 6/10
2000: <no theme>
I appreciate the effort to subtly include Singapore's age in the logo, but it just makes the logo look overly corporate and sad. If not for the dot on top of the 35, the figure would not even pass as a human shape.
The Singapore flag looks like it's being sucked into a paper shredder. Ouch!
Cringe Factor: 8/10
2001: Building Bridges, Forging Futures
The NDP committee discovered new colours other than red, white, blue and black. Instead of experimenting with transparency, they played around with gradients, which was the design trend back in those days. This led to a more vibrant and energetic logo, compared to its past editions.
However, there's too much information which makes the logo lack a single focus point. The caveman drawing and the 36 do not go together, and the words make the logo as a whole messy and cluttered.
Plus, it's not a good idea to put the slogan "Together, We Make The Difference" right beside the 36, because it disrupts the visual hierarchy.
If the logo simply consisted of the flag and 36, it would be a home run for design in Singapore. Sadly, this logo wanted to be more of an infographic rather than a logo.
Cringe Factor: 6/10
2002: A Caring Nation
I'm assuming that this logo was done by a non-designer: the Comic Sans font is a dead giveaway. Not faulting it's use here though, since the logo seems to fit a nursery more than a NDP.
The flag and the heart does not gel together, but everything else seems okay.
Cringe Factor: 4/10
2003: A Cohesive Society
I had to look at this for quite some time to get the red and white pattern. It's not very obvious since the flag is supposedly tilted (seen from the bottom of the flag upwards).
Damn do the figures look ugly. Season the logo with randomly selected fonts and we have the worst NDP logo ever.
Cringe Factor: 8/10
2004: A Progressive Society
I still remember looking at this logo as a kid and being amazed at the idea of morphing 'ga' into 39. Granted, foreigners would most likely be unable to recognise the word as 'Singapore' but as long as locals get it, it's considered a win.
The aerial flypasts are a crowd favourite in every NDP, so it probably inspired this designer to create this shooting star graphic.
Cringe Factor: 3/10
2005: 40 Years of Nation Building
This logo is the cousin of NDP 2002's logo: a cute design crafted from a simple idea. We are 40 years old, it's finally time for us to smile and breathe again, after holding our breaths for 39 years.
The slogan and graphics fit perfectly with each other, and font choice was :) as well.
Cringe Factor: 3/10
2006: Our Global City, Our Home
This logo appears to be making fun of Singapore's size. We are celebrating National Day, not some world event, so why is the globe emphasised instead of Singapore? I get the theme of the year, but wouldn't it be more apt to put the globe inside Singapore's silhouette instead?
This logo takes the cake for being the least patriotic, where the only recognisable Singapore thing is the silhouette of the nation, which takes up less than 10% of the logo.
Cringe Level: 7/10 The world is gonna consume us, take cover!
2007: City of Possibilities
This was the first year where the NDP was held at the Floating Platform. Hurrah, no red for the first time ever! Even so, I am able to recognise Singapore via the green Esplanade.
I bet they were tempted to make the stars red. I'm glad they resisted it, because the colours are on point. Red is a colour which is associated with hostility, so look at this red-less logo - soothing, isn't it?
Sadly, they had to remind everyone that the NDP was going be "@ Marina Bay", lest they accidentally went to the National Stadium on August 9.
Cringe Factor: 2/10 thanks to the redundant "@ Marina Bay"
Remember, the logo isn't everything
In branding, logos might be the face of the brand, but the brand applications ultimately make or break the brand. Since there are so many logos to cover, I have chosen not to dive too deep into each logo, because I'd be writing a book if that's the case.
I am also obliged to say that I am proud to be Singaporean, and <insert patriotic things>. Just because I gave some logos a bad review does not make me less proud of being a Singaporean. So Internet warriors, pick another target!
Part 2 of the series can be found here.
Part 2 of the series can be found here.
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