Taylor Clark
LJI Reporter
Shedding the “City of,” Gatineau took a bold stance and introduced residents to its new logo via social media on July 9.
“The current logo of the Ville de Gatineau is more than 20 years old,” said Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette. “This new logo embodies our collective pride, symbolizing our dynamism, our attachment to our territory, and our deep commitment to the development of the Gatineau population.”
The new logo was unveiled as part of the city’s efforts to modernize its brand image, which began in the fall of 2022 “to improve the experience of citizens.”
The familiar green and blue symbol remains, but beneath it, the new capitalized bold font, only spelling the word Gatineau, was found to be more daring and assertive. The capitalization and leaving out the words “City of” were to improve readability, which was noted to be an issue with the previous logo.
The modern logo aimed to capture a unifying brand that was recognizable and “(put) citizens first,” although they were never consulted. The overhaul of the logo was carried out internally with the help of the communications department.
While the department could not provide an exact dollar amount, it said the expenses incurred were operational and consisted of the salaries of the personnel involved. The process of gradually rolling out the new logo was not expected to have additional costs, as it would be paid from existing service budgets.
The simplified logo was not met with open arms by its citizens. The day-old Facebook post racked up close to 1,000 comments, many frustrated with the minute changes and the time spent creating the new logo.
“The old logo was visually better balanced with a connection between the lettering and the illustration. In the new version, there seem to be two separate elements,” one citizen commented online.
Another matter of contention was the use of the English word “bold” as part of the logo reveal, which many took as a hit to the French language. The communications department said the term was favoured from a marketing launch perspective as it referred to both the “bold” approach and font in the logo.
“This is a stylistic choice in an advertising context. Also note that under the Charter of the French Language, the use of the English is tolerated; however, French must be predominant in advertising in a significant way and have greater or equivalent visibility,” said the department.
The old logo was expected to continue to make appearances as the new logo would gradually make its way to signage, vehicles, and equipment. The same was said for the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau and the Sécurité incendie which would eventually be revised to incorporate the modernized logo. The new full brand image was expected to be deployed throughout the city’s various platforms and communication tools in the coming months.
Photo caption (1): Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette proudly stands beside the city’s new logo, revealed as part of the process to modernize Gatineau’s brand image.
Photo credit (1): Maude Marquis-Bissonnette Facebook Page
Photo caption (2): After 22 years with its previous logo, Gatineau unveils its new simplistic logo aimed to not only unify the city but also improve readability, which has been an issue with the old logo.
Photo credit (2): Ville de Gatineau Website