Dram Man

Inventive Logos? (Something that slipped past)

A while ago on this blog (or rather in my history of blogging), I used to use the english webpage of the Korean Intellectual Property Office as a source for news. The page tends to translate things of interest that appear in the Korean press that do not make it to the English language press in Korea. However when I got my new Apple iBook, I was disapointed that Safari is not compatiable with the page and forgot about looking at it.

Since I have some time on the PC I have to use at my office, I typed up the website to browse. I found something of note, an article from the Hankook Ilbo around June 28, 2006:

In order to improve the BI (latest Konglish for logo - DM) images of our companies as well as to promote them to the global market, Hankook Ilbo created the first “Korea Enterprise BI Award” with the sponsorship of KIPO and KIDP (Korea Institute of Design Promotion). Last 29th, 4 companies (or agencies) have been selected as the winners.

The article is translated to be unclear as to find samples of one, but of three selected I want to point out something interesing.

The first is Yearim Publishing. Their logo is:








Now consider the following Korean logos:
















Not such an innovative logo if you ask me.

Consider another winner, the new logo for the Korean National Tourism office:










Cute huh? Then consider this:







or






Looks familar doesn't it?

Consider the last one for Shin Won Construction:








Now consider the mark for Seo-gu (ward), Busan city:



or the more famous logo of the Minsitry of Unification:



Seems to me that none of the logos featured were that distinctive and award worthy.

posted by Dram Man @ 4:25 PM