A New Logo for NAMA

The renowned graphic designer Paul Rand once said that “Design in the silent ambassador of your brand”. The designer of such iconic logos as IBM, YALE, ABC, and scores of world famous brands believed that a logo should always communicate the corporate message, even when viewed in isolation, in print, or any other medium. [When Paul Rand spoke about design, people listened. He was one of those rare individuals who actually knew what he was talking about.]

So, imagine my confusion the first time I saw the logo for the National Asset Management Agency, or NAMA as it is more commonly known. The logo features a gold stylised harp shape to the left of the full title of the “National Asset Management Agency” in light blue serif. It is a nice, inoffensive logo, and in normal circumstances would be fine. But of course we are not in normal circumstances…

I wonder if it effectively conveys a supercharged Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), one that will swoop in to clear up the massive financial mess and square up to any troublemakers with an iron fist? Unfortunately, the logo does not match the promise of the brand, and therefore the public are receiving a mixed corporate message.

So, realising this, I feel I have to do my patriotic duty and put my shoulder to the wheel.

My challenge is to anyone, including myself, to come up with a logo that will reflect NAMA as we see it, or as we are supposed to see it, so we can convince ourselves that we are wrong to have any doubts about it – and so we can all just get on with moving ahead whilst going forward. And, as we are told time and time again, it is “the only game in town” after all.

Here’s my effort

I’m sure others can do much better, so if anyone would like to submit a resonable attempt it would be more than welcome – it is for the good of the country after all. Just like the entity the logo must represent …