First there was Coco Pops

First there was Coco Pops who bizarrely tried out a whole new (rubbish) name.

Then at the beginning of last year Cornwall Council announced to the world it was changing its branding and unveiled its new logo.
The rejected Cornwall Council logo

Then thousands of people went the old-fashioned way and signed a petition against the 'un-Cornish' branding and the council backed down, throwing thousands of pounds in the bin as they did so. I've got to say, I rather liked it. The logo, not the petition.

And now Gap have done it the technological way - reacting to Facebook criticism they've gone and binned their new generic, bland offering, saying "We've heard loud and clear that you don't like the new logo. We've learned a lot from the feedback. We only want what's best for the brand and our customers".
Gap's rejected logo

So why do organisations go to all the bother of changing if they weren't 100% sure about the logo they unveil in such a glorious fashion? Gap, especially, centres its marketing around its brand - most recognised through its elongated logo. What were they trying to achieve by the new logo, which let's face it, is about as interesting as a vacuume cleaner?

It looks like they were going for digital - new age, and in doing so simply became as generic as every other page on the web. And they could have probably bought few dozen Dyson's with the money they wasted.

Is all lost under Red Ed?

I got a text while sunning myself in Portugal at end of last month. It was from my boss, and it read, simply "Ed- 1, Dave - 0". It took me just a moment or two until I realised what he was telling me. Red Ed had snatched victory from under his brother's nose.

On my return I found out it was even more serious than that. Ed won on the back of the trade union vote - allowed a bigger proportion of the vote than individual members of the Labour party.
Pic c/o PA

While the country reels from quick, harsh public sector cuts from the Tories (I'm not even going to mention the Libs as they are now Tory in my eyes) I've been reliably informed the speed and severity of the cuts is no accident. It means services will be irreparable even into the next term, so Labour's chance of snatching victory and then quickly mending our battered country is even slimmer.

And who's going to vote for Red Ed? Are enough people die-hard liberals to vote for him? Wasn't Dave our chance of easing back into Labour in an un-frightening, charismatic manner?

I think, terrifyingly, all might be lost.

Tate for Tate

UPPDATE:

The BBC are reporting that the Tate is now having to stop people from walking on the 'seeds' due to the toxic dust it's sending into the hall... what a shame.

BLOG:

Loving this exhibition at the Tate's Turbine gallery right now.

Pic c/o TheBerry.com

As What's On editor Lee Trewhela points out - I wonder how many seeds people will try to pocket as a souvenir...

The Tubine Hall is such a versatile space. One of my favourite exhibitions there was The Weather Project which shone your eyes off the moment you walked in. People would bump into each other walking around because they were too busy looking at the 'sun'. I miss not being able to pop in on my walk back to the station from work anymore.

We're not bereft of lovely exhibitions here in Cornwall though. Yesterday I was shown around the Contemporary British Silversmiths exhibition at the Royal Cornwall Museum (which despite its facade-hiding scaffolding is in fact open!) by charming founding committee member and Cornishman Charles Hall. Read my review here.


The Tate in St Ives has also welcomed home one of it's old masters Peter Lanyon. Although the works themselves are at some points so dark you feel like crying, the exhibition itself is an important one. Read that review here.

I've simply swapped one for the other, perhaps.