"New" FIRST logo, thoughts now...

[David Kelly]

Okay, it's been over 10 months since FIRST released the next generation of the FIRST logo. There was some much heated debate on whether it was a good idea or not... Some thought it looked childish and others thought that it showed FIRST's next logical step. Now that we've had a season to reflect on using/seeing it and we walk into RadioShack and see the FIRST logo plastered everywhere, was it the right decision?


I believe that it was one of the best marketing decisions they have ever made.


Please post your thoughts...

[Cory]

I don't really care either way.

But it was weird that they were still using all the old signage at regional events. They should have switched over to the new logo on all competition related material.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Cory

I don't really care either way.

But it was weird that they were still using all the old signage at regional events. They should have switched over to the new logo on all competition related material.

I agree. However, they did say this year was a transitional year for the logos, so I guess we'll see it all the new way next season.

Personally, after looking at it for a while, I got to liking it. It looks a bit cleaner.

[sanddrag]

Well, I bought a shirt with a great big new style logo on the front of it so I guess you could say that with time I think I started liking it more. You can catch me wearing my FIRST shirt on Saturday October 15th at the SCRRF Fall Classic.

[Alex Golec]

The logo evolves much like the styles of cars have had... I look back at the uber-rounded cars of the 1990's and think 'who would design something so roundly contorted?'

The same has started to happen with the old FIRST logo... so gray and dull, with those now hideous black outlines all around the shapes. The new one is more modern- that is to say, up to date with our current styles. I still haven't gotten over the transition of "FIRST" to "FIRST" (btw, this is how FIRST should be written in all team documents and papers... italicized, and I believe bolded. Seems kinda quirky to me.) Overall, I agree with the other couple of posts here: whatever; I don't mind. As long as its a triangle, circle, and a square all connected, its FIRST in one way or another.

_Alex

[Ian Curtis]

I find it funny that when it was released almost no one person defended it and now not one person has voted that they don't like it. As time goes on I realize how much more I prefer it to the old one.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Alex469

I still haven't gotten over the transition of "FIRST" to "FIRST" (btw, this is how FIRST should be written in all team documents and papers... italicized, and I believe bolded. Seems kinda quirky to me.) _Alex

FIRST is supposed to be written italicized to make it stand out as an acronym for the program as opposed to an adjective preceding another word. http://www.usfirst.org/JALogoUpdateMessage.htm This does make a lot of sense; keep it in mind when writing your brochures, etc. this season. Also note that FIRST has a preferred typeface for documents, as outlined in the logo standards document. Ironically, they did not use the italicized version of FIRST in that document, nor in many places on the FIRST website!

[KenWittlief]

the name and the logo are two different things. Capitol letters are used to denote an acronym, not italics.

Logo's are very specifically defined, and must be drawn exactly the same way whenever they are used, or you lose the legal rights to the logo.

If you think about it, it must be this way. For many years Xerox used a specific capitol X as their logo. It could not be just any "X", it had to be that specific "X" in the exact font and shape and color

because you cant register a letter or a common word as a trademark, only the logo.

The bottom line is, if you want to use the FIRST logo, you have to paste it exactly as it appears in their documents. If you want to refer to the organization itself, the word "FIRST" is the name, no matter what font or size or which way the letters lean on the page.

[dk5sm5luigi]

Sometimes I like the new logo and other times I don't. The main time I don't like it is when it is on a white background because the circle in it disappears. Other than that I think it is a welcomed change.

For those who may have forgotten what the logo looked like before the current version you can go here http://www.first-a-holics.com/downloads.html where they have all the previous ones shown.

[Carol]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

the name and the logo are two different things. Capitol letters are used to denote an acronym, not italics.

Notice, however, that FIRST itself is a registered trademark. Here is the entry from the PTO database, which included the logo (which I couldn't paste it into this reply). Note that FIRST is a service mark, which means it provides a service rather than a product. (Word mark just means it's a word versus a symbol.) Note also that it does not specify that it should be italized, but they could be working to register that as well. I'm not really an expert in trademarks so can't really interpret everything in this record.

Word Mark FIRST
Goods and Services IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: educational services, namely conducting engineering and science competitions fostering discovery, inspiration, and problem-solving in the field of mathematics, science and technology. FIRST USE: 19910730. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19910730
Mark Drawing Code (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS
Design Search Code 260102 260502 260701
Serial Number 75374093
Filing Date October 16, 1997
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition December 26, 2000
Registration Number 2436090
Registration Date March 20, 2001
Owner (REGISTRANT) United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology CORPORATION NEW HAMPSHIRE 200 Bedford Street Manchester NEW HAMPSHIRE 03101
Attorney of Record DANIEL J BOURQUE
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

[Kevin Sevcik]

So I've been holding off on this post till teams had time to adjust to the new logo.... The purported reason for the logo change wasn't simply to make a new better looking logo. The old logo was being misused and modified by teams and others all over the place. FIRST hadn't done anything to protect it, so it wasn't protectable now that FIRST was getting really big. So the new logo came with all those usage guidelines. No using the FIRST in the logo in a sentence, no removing the FIRST, no stretching the logo, minimum whitespace around the logo, no glows, etc. So I did a brief website survey. Something like 25% of the teams using the new logo are misusing it. Tons haven't even switched to the new logo, of course. FIRST itself violated the usage guidelines with their awards ceremony powerpoints and such.

So what was the point about all the new more protectable logo stuff?

[KenWittlief]

FIRST probabally needed to establish a new logo due to the products being sold in RadioShack with the FIRST logo and trade name.

Maybe RadioShack requested they firm up their logo and trademark, so they would not end up with other companies selling "first" robot kits, and creating market confusion.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I agree. However, they did say this year was a transitional year for the logos, so I guess we'll see it all the new way next season.

Personally, after looking at it for a while, I got to liking it. It looks a bit cleaner.

Same here, although I'm still not a fan of the whole at-an-angle logo witht he square smaller than the triangle. But eh.

I can see their move now 20/20 in heindsight with the release of VEX.

[Triple B]

For me, i like some link to the early days.
NASA went from the meatball, to the worm and has now returned to the meatball.
i like the old logo.
just my .o2
mike d

[Kyle Greer]

don't change a good thing...there was nothing wrong with the old logo...just my thoughts