Following Monday’s launch of the electoral logos and slogans by both the Nationalist and Labour Party, in the run up towards the snap general election on June 3rd, The Malta Independent spoke to local designers to gain a more critical analysis and interpretation of the chosen campaign branding designs.
Dr Gorg Mallia, the head of the Media and Knowledge Sciences Faculty, graphic design lecturer at the University of Malta and well-known local cartoonist noted how both logos “look a bit hurried” in preparation. “There are a few elements that a bit of thought would have eliminated,” he explained, “both have gone for a Maltese flag theme, with the Nationalist Party (PN) logo being a bit cleaner than the rather muddled Labour Party logo,” he said.
He noted that the new Labour Party logo is similar to that of their last campaign. “It’s clear they are harking back to their spherical ‘Malta Tagħna Lkoll’ logo,” Dr Mallia said, “but the jagged semi-circle of the ‘L-Aqwa Żmien ta’ Pajjiżna’ logo might actually indicate symbolically that what one is getting is half of what one was given the previous time.”
Comparing the flag from the previous ‘Malta Tagħna Lkoll’ campaign to the ‘L-Aqwa Żmien ta’ Pajjiżna’ campaign, Dr Mallia says that the former was stylized in a lot of elements, whilst in the latter has a “photographically realistic flag, and the blurring of what looks like a lens flare obfuscates the background.” Speaking about the chosen font, which makes up more than half of the logo, he said that “the logotype has gone for a decorative font, normally associated with designs from decades ago, which contradicts the essential message that these are the best of times.”
“I think a much better job could have been done all around,” he said, moving on to analyse the PN’s ‘Jien naghzel Malta’ logo.
“There’s the stylisation of the Maltese flag, which is an innovative touch, but the association with fencing (i.e. a wall) is not a happy one,” he said. “Also, we read from left to right, and if we were to read the logo in that way, then there’s an implication that we first need to go backwards to get there.” He said that “the logotype is not designed, but is rather just placed text, and I have no clue who decided to put a full-stop there, but it just does not go in a logotype, in much the same way that it doesn’t in a title. “
“I definitely think that with the resources and resourceful designers both parties have, they could have done a lot better,” Dr Mallia concluded. “Logically, all of this is quite superficial and probably will only be thought of by designers. The people will just accept and endorse depending on party sympathy.”
Art Director Ramon Micallef told this newspaper that “at a first glance, it certainly does not require a graphic designer’s opinion to note the similarities in both cases; the Maltese flag and the predominance of the white and red colours. “Due to the fact that the white needs a dark colour to contrast it, a very common, corporate, dark blue has been also selected by both sides to act as a background colour,” he said.
Analysing the two logos, Mr Micallef said that the main difference between the two logos is the rendering of the main elements. “In the PN logo, the flag is more stylised, and the thin lines fading to the solid colours are very representative of motion and dynamism. In the case of the PL logo, the flag is almost photographic, where the designer has also decided (or possibly been asked to) include a detail from the George Cross,” he noted.
Looking closer at the fonts, Mr Micallef noted that the PN logo uses a modern sans serif font, which he described as “very legible and straightforward,” whilst the PL’s font “has been placed in a kind of flowery arrangement, a script font which adds a dose of playfulness and almost a female angle to it.” “To be honest, I feel that for an electoral campaign it could have very well done without these added semicircle blocks,” he said.
“It is very clear to me that the emphasis of both logos is on the slogan itself and not on the design value,” he concluded. “If one had to remove the picture part of the logo, they could have both worked just as well.”
A third designer, who wished to remain anonymous described the PN logo as having too much of a corporate feel. “Although very neat and well designed, it might look a bit scarily corporate and so not appeal to many,” the designer said, whilst adding that “the PL one, on the other hand, looks extremely amateur.”