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On September 4, officials in Austin introduced the city’s inaugural unified brand logo, a part of a $1.1 million rebranding initiative. However, the new undulating blue and green “A” logo has already stirred controversy among locals and critics, who likened it to the emblem of a mathematics textbook publisher.
Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, criticized the project on The Will Cain Show, noting that city leaders elected to “spend a million dollars on a rebrand, removing a cross for something resembling a ‘woke’ band emblem.”
Roy accused city officials in Austin of placing symbolism above safety concerns. “Residents in Austin face unanswered 911 calls and a rise in crime due to reductions in police funding,” he stated.
The initiative dates back to 2018, when the City Council decided to create a “consistent and clear brand” for its various departments. At present, Austin employs over 300 distinct logos, as per a press release from the City of Austin.
The City of Austin’s original seal, featuring a cross and lamp design, will be phased out in this rebranding effort, which costs $1.1 million.
Jessica King, the Chief Communications Director for Austin, explained, “The logo symbolizes our hills, rivers, and bridges, which connect us all. The colors are inspired by our natural environment – the violet crown skies and the lush green canopies of our parks and trails.”
Designer DJ Stout of Pentagram admitted the process was “the ultimate design by committee” and that “Austin is a little liberal island, politically.”
Residents blasted the redesign online. “The new logo sucks. It looks like a homeless tent,” one told KXAN. Others called it “a bad biotech’s company rebranding,” while Chron notes one Instagram user simply wrote, “Bruhhhh.”
Marketing professor Chris Aarons offered perspective to KXAN. “The Coca Cola was just a script, but it’s a beautiful script. But over 120 years, they made it mean happiness. It is really what the entity makes that logo mean at the end of the day.”
The City of Austin and Pentagram Austin did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
