City of Paris OFFICIAL logo and branding
The logo is based on the nave - the historical symbol of Paris representing a boat, symbol of the capital for over a thousand years. The city's motto is Fluctuat Nec Mergitur - Fluctuates but never sinks. The visual identity of the city of Paris is a rendez-vous with ourselves, all Parisians and all those who operate and work, night and day to improve our daily lives and enhance the aura of this city like no other. Paris is proud, Paris is beautiful, Paris is plural, Paris has chosen Carré Noir to redesign its visual identity to reflect what it represents, its strength and its benevolence.
Get a tiny glimpse of what led to the official Paris logo from the ipad of one of the creatives at Carré Noir. Using the Procreate app. Focusing on the boat, called a nave was mandatory in the brief as a key historical marker and asset to the city and the parisians. There were hundreds if not thousands of iterations and ideas, this video shows the last moments...
The nave symbol is drawn with a single stroke. The overall shape is based on a circle but the front tip of the nave slightly goes beyond to create more weight on the front area. The mast rests centered on the vertical axis for stability and reminiscent of the nave's original design. The overall shape is sober, dynamic and elegant at the same time, sophisticated to be unique, simple to be recognizable.The Paris logotype is bold yet remains thin enough in order to create a good balance between the symbol and type. The A has a smile in its crossbar, where Bienvenue / Welcome is in the DNA of Paris. The type is set in capital letters to establish its status as a great, timeless world capital. The logo is set in monochrome navy blue, which brings modernity and elegance.
The new identity is digital, modular and allows a cohabitation with the historical identity by bringing a graphic system more adapted to the new uses accompanied by a bright and saturated color palette. The Ville de Paris brand gains in status and sobriety when the brand territory allows a great richness of accompanying colours, this adequacy ultimately creates a lively and rich whole.
All editorial material was created with the "Marie-Louise" Frame around each visual creating a recognizable and premium feel to the brand. Not only does it allow the logo to have extra leg room but beautifies the visuals encapsulated inside of the frame. Beyond a white frame, we chose to use the frame to create extra branding through color and the magnified nave symbol adding dynamics and vibrancy.
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