Has your organization fallen into the tagline trap?

This blog article is a cautionary tale about adding taglines to logos.

A graphic designer (sometimes me!) will design the perfect logo for an organization. The logo will be a clean, concise visual communication piece that clearly brands the organization or company. But then, some of the powers that be at the organization feel that a tagline is necessary. The graphic designer is asked to add a tagline, URL or CEO’s name to the logo in a permanent “lock-up.” This means that the logo will always appear “locked” with the tagline or requested text. The impact of the clean, concise visual brand image becomes diluted and lost.

Sometimes the tagline and CEO’s name really are necessary. Sometimes, not. Consider developing a guide that defines the circumstances under which a lock-up will be used. Some considerations include, the overall size of the logo in the layout, type of media, or duration of use of the communications piece. The additional parameters will assist in making the most visually strategic decisions.