Newcastle City Council has unveiled a colourful new corporate logo designed to present a more contemporary face to the community.
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The N-shaped logo replaces a 1993 monochrome design based around the Civic Park fountain.
The council said in a media statement that the ripple effect of the design represented water as a “strong symbol and shared connection across our coastal city”.
“The vibrant palette captures the beauty of Newcastle’s natural environment and represents the city’s bright outlook,” it said.
Council chief executive officer Jeremy Bath said the logo had been designed in-house with help from Headjam creative agency and cost less than $50,000.
The new brand will be rolled out across council assets such as Newcastle Museum, Newcastle Art Gallery, Civic Theatre, Fort Scratchley, Blackbutt Reserve and Foreshore Park as well as on uniforms, letterheads and the council’s website.
Some prominent signage will change immediately, but some will change only when it needs replacing.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said at the logo launch at City Hall on Wednesday that the new emblem was meant to reflect a more forward-thinking organisation.
“For me, I really wanted to make sure we had a logo that had colour in it, because for me that symbolises brightness and hope for the future, as well as the revitalisation and the transformation that the city has been going through, it is attracting younger start-ups and investors,” she said.
“We wanted to make sure we had something that was very simple and recognisable but also symbolised what was important to our community, and that is – coming out in surveys – the coastline, the natural environment, hence the soft edges and the wavy edges on the end.
“I want to be a city that is open and inclusive. Colourful logos do symbolise that inclusive community as well.
“The colour for me is not only a nod to our visit Newcastle brand, but is also a nod to being a very diverse and inclusive community.”
The council released a Newcastle tourism logo in 2011 which has been incorporated into branding for Surfest and used on-track at the Newcastle 500 Supercars race.
“I think having a refreshed logo after 26 years is really symbolic of where the city is heading and council’s vision for the future,” Cr Nelmes said.