We interrupt this Internet weblog to bring you a special announcement: The United States Civil Defense logo, the ominous icon which once graced tens of thousands of trucks, geiger counters, and emergency storage bins, is dead.
Rumors of the logo's previous demise were apparently premature. Indeed, though many Americans thought the logo had faded away sometime during the Nixon Administration, this was not the case. Instead, the familiar CD graphic with the white triangle enclosed in a blue circle, had merely been in quiet retirement -- perhaps in Florida, but most certainly buried somewhere deep in the darker corners of the basement.
Now, however, the National Emergency Management Association, a group of state emergency managers, has announced the adoption of a new "EM" logo -- EM for "emergency management" -- which will officially replace the old CD. According to today's New York Times:
The insignia was born in 1939, said Michael Bierut, a partner in the Pentagram design firm. Its father was Charles T. Coiner, the art director of the N. W. Ayer advertising agency, who also designed the National Recovery Administration’s blue eagle.
The CD insignia was called anachronistic in 1972 by the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, successor to the Office of Civil Defense. “The image was World War II vintage,” the agency said.
The EM symbol was endorsed by R. David Paulison, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, successor to the civil preparedness agency. He attended the announcement in Washington.
The new image was developed by Morrie Goodman, an emergency communications specialist and the managing director of AGG International, a marketing firm.
Mr. Goodman said he first tried to update the classic triangle, using EM initials, but wound up with something that looked like the America Online logo. He was then directed by the association to take a fresh approach. In it, the letters EM and the words Public Safety and Public Trust are wreathed in blue and gold arcs, symbolizing movement, and three gold stars, standing for the local, state and federal levels of disaster preparedness and response.
“We now have a new symbol of what our profession is all about,” Mr. Goodman said.
[Tom Geismar, a principal in Chermayeff & Geismar Studio, a design firm] sounded less sure. He said the stars and swooshes seemed “more appropriate to an upstart airline.”
We beg to differ. At Telstar Logsitics, we believe the new EM logo would actually be most suitable for a third-party cafeteria food services provider, or perhaps an employee credit union headquartered somewhere in eastern Minnesota. But we can't quibble with Mr. Geismar's basic assessment: The new logo doesn't exude much urgency or officialdom, although that may also be appopriate. After all, the EM graphic will represent the modern-day heir to the former Civil Defense bureaucracy: the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
Civil Defense Museum website (Recommended!): LINK
All Telstar Logistics photos tagged "civildefense" (Flickr photos): LINK
(Photos above by Telstar Logistics)
UPDATE: A new Flickr Civil Defense group has been created to archive images of Cold War-era Civil Defense logos and equipment. Feel free to join in.
Tbey probably spent at least a million dollars on the new joke of a logo.
There was no real reason to change the logo, since it is well known and iconic. Plus it will not look like some sort of European toilet paper logo.
Posted by: Toby | 01 December 2006 at 02:05 PM
I think they saw this page:
http://www.biz-logo.com/pre-designed-cat05.shtml
When they really should have visited this page:
http://lekowicz.com/library/logohell/logohell.html
Posted by: JJ san | 02 December 2006 at 09:37 AM
Here is a link to the full NY Times article.
Posted by: Steve Rhodes | 09 December 2006 at 02:18 PM
Civil Defense and it's logo is still alive and kicking in some communities and many of us older members belong to the American Civil Defense Association. I have not honestly seen fema do anything in any nearby location to promote civil defense measures and would not serve under their moniker.
For one thing many people do not realize that the CD logo is internally recognized and people under that logo in times of war are protected by the gen. convention. as well as the civil defense workers themselves. now u see tee shirts and logo pins being sold at flee markets... stupid move.
Posted by: brent ford | 22 September 2010 at 06:35 PM
I am going to adopt the old logo to raise public awareness of
the need to get involved in our (civilian Defence) both local and state. With the goal of recruting citizens to fight the domestic enemies entrenched in every aspect of our lives.Renew
that old logo to represent a new found comitment to exposeing and disposing of traitors in our local,county,state and fed level.They have almost completed the dumbing down of America.In California the dumbing down was a tremendous success.Domestic tyranny is alive and well.Expect no endorsements from ANY! gov't agency.They are ALL about defending their way of life from pensions to re-elections.We as a United group have a common goal and that is to regain lost freedoms and stop destrutive gov't intrusions in the people's pursuit of happiness.Each hat or sweatshirt logo should have their
chapter and state to show the enemies of freedom our determination to rid ourselves of these parasites once and for all.What is the prerequisets? Be a citizen willing to pledge your sacred honor,your fortune and your life.As they said in the first revolution. We must hang together or we will most certainly hang seperately.
Posted by: Roger D Phillips | 08 December 2010 at 02:05 PM