What are your thoughts on The Bulldog logo? Do you think it is fitting or do you think they should have done something else?

The Saints logo the iconic fleur-de-leis design that is evident just about every where in New Orleans, especially after the city rallied back from Hurricane Katrina. This centuries old icon now symbolizes the faith and love for the city of New Orleans and many New Orleans area business have a fleur-de-leis incorporated into their company logos as well as the City of New Orleans’s logo. Although nearly everyone uses the fleur-de-leis design, the Saints have a unique version of the design that makes it their own. Do a simple Google image search for fleur-de-leis and you’ll find hundred, if not thousands, of different designs. You should be able to spot the Saints logo as being unique.

1967-1999 logo design

The Saints changed the logo in 2000 (according to SportsLogo.net) to incorporate the gold and fine tuned the design to make it more unique. Besides that color and slight design change, not much has changed since the team was founded on All Saints Day in 1967 [shown to the right].

When thinking of a logo or even a mascot for a football team called the Saints, not much comes to mind actually that is not sacrilegious with a fighting angel. Although not a fierce name like the bears, lions, and tigers, the Saints name is unique and fitting for New Orleans. The city is very Catholic throughout history and as mentioned previously, the iconic fleur-de-leis is found throughout the city. Also, what other football stadiums can say they have fans dressed as Moses and the Pope at their games?

The NOLA.com logo is simple at first glance, but as we reviewed the logo design we noticed more significant features. The most obvious piece is the crescent shape reflecting the city’s “Crescent City” nickname. The font for the word “nola” actually reflects the website’s origins as the local newspaper’s website, The Times-Picayune. The font is an older font with the strong serifs (feet) on each character. The word being in all lowercase actually reflects more of the web’s character and is a very Web 2.0 style. What surprised me the most was nola.com’s age actually predates the Web 2.0 movement. The circular shape reverberates the crescent shape and the modern font for “.com” continues the web look.

What are your thoughts on the NOLA.com logo?

On a drive down Metairie Road, you will see the fun-loving Drago’s crawfish mascot on their sign [pictured on the right]. This logo is the New Orleans version of Americana for me, it’s New Orleanian. The logo has some fun and some class. The font is distinct even though it appears to be an unaltered fontface.  and I like how the “S” is extended, underlining the rest of the word. You may notice the far left side of the “S” is curved to mimic the curve of the “D”. Even the ampersand in the logo has character. (No pun intended.)

What do you think about the Drago’s logo? Do you have a favorite New Orleans restaurant logo?

This is not a logo per say, but it is an icon. An icon that has stood the test of time and clearly defines New Orleans as the Crescent City. It shows the city has a city with culture and one that looks to the arts for even simple things like water meter covers. Other cities usually just have the name of the city on the water meter covers and other utilities, but here in New Orleans it is more than that. It is a piece of art that we walk across each day. Nowadays, you do not see as many of the water meter covers because they become so coveted that many of the covers were stolen as souvenirs.

Have you purchased items with the water meter cover design? One of my favorites is the welcome mat.

Premium Parking’s logo reminds me of the London Underground logo and has a European feel to it which matches New Orleans’ European history and influence. The logo is clean, simple and to the point. We talk all the time that less is more and this is a good example of it and well needed.

When a potential customer is looking for parking, especially in the busy Central Business District (CBD) or New Orleans where much of the company’s lots are located, they need an easy to find, well recognized visual that quickly translates into available parking. The red color helps the logo stand out and draw attention toward the sign.

Oddly though, the logo reminds me of a No Parking sign, but in a good way. The Premium Parking “P” is recognizable as “parking” and without the slash through the letter, it looks like parking is available.

Check out the Premium Parking website at http://www.premiumparkingservice.com.

Good ol' Hubig's pies. A New Orleans delight.

Not many things bring me back to my youth in New Orleans as a Hubig’s pie. It is a simple pleasure that one has to indulge on a few times a year. Regardless of your favorite flavor (mine is banana), a Hubig’s pie is a timeless treat and a part of New Orleans’ culture. You can see artwork using the Hubig’s logo in galleries in New Orleans and in households across the country. The iconic character is simple yet tells so much about the wholesome goodness inside. One of my favorite treats for friends visiting New Orleans is to have pick up a pie when at a convenience store or poboy shop. Each time, they remark how inviting the character is and it must be a good treat if it’s been around all this time with an almost unchanged look. In this case, I think changing the look of the packaging would be detrimental.

What do you think of the Hubig’s pie character and packaging? What is your favorite flavor?

Tipitina's logo features the banana.

This is another legendary household name in New Orleans – Tiptina’s. Many locals just call it “Tips”. Tiptina’s is an Uptown New Orleans concert hall and music haven.

I’m not sure where the banana comes from and the importance of it. A friend thinks the banana is a sign of luck or happiness. Regardless the background, Tipitina’s uses the banana consistently throughout their other brands. You can see the hand and banana rising out of the water in their Foundation’s logo in the picture on the right. Their workshop logo also incorporates the banana.

If you love this music mecca and the logo, you can purchase shirts and merchandise from their website. Let us know if you know the history behind the banana. We’re curious.

NOLA Brewing's sign on their warehouse.

NOLA Brewing is another New Orleans logo that tells a lot about the company and the product by the look of the logo. Beer enthusiasts will recognize the wheat in the background and the general public will also see the regal, high-end look of the logo. NOLA Brewing is not a cheap beer and the logo reflects their products’ quality.

Their logo and name also fits on of my other criteria that they tell you what the company does or offers. NOLA Brewing’s logo makes it obvious that this is a brewing company because it is stated on the logo unlike companies known only as ABC Company or just Intrepid.

Audubon Institute includes the Zoo, Aquarium, Insectarium & Parks

Audubon Institute’s logo is one of my all-time favorite logos and I do not think the designer of the logo gets enough credit for it. (I’m not even sure who designed it.)

This logo is one of the reasons I become a graphic designer. The logo captivates the spirit of the animals and the interaction that Audubon gives to its guest. My favorite part about each park is the interaction where the animals are not behind glass or in an enclosure, but right out in front of you so you can touch them. I love seeing a volunteer walk a tortoise and the keepers walking around with owls and hawks on their left hands as part of an impromptu “rapture parade”. The logo projects the animals coming out of their enclosures and the interaction they have with visitors.

The logo also works perfectly for each park as a separate logo with the tiger as the representative for the zoo, the shark for the aquarium and the butterfly for the new insectarium. What do you think about Audubon Institute’s logo?