I was thinking there was something odd about this logo—then it hit me and it brought a smile to my face.

Oftentimes we look at the the world’s problems and think about what can “I” do about them. The emphasis is always on me, the individual. We Can Solve It seeks to change our focus on fighting problems from a “me” to a “we”-based perspective. By combining our collective power, we can do something to change what’s going on. Stop thinking me and start thinking we.

We Can Solve It’s logo cleverly reflects this idea—by turning “me” upside down, literally. By flipping over the “m” in “me”, you get “we”. At first you might be caught of guard by the funny-looking “w”, as I was. But when you stop to take a second look, the revelation hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s amazing how much information can be imparted in a simple logo.

I’m sure not everyone who sees the logo will catch it (not everyone sees the arrow in FedEx after all). But for those who do, the pay-off is truly rewarding. A clever logo that works on multiple levels is worth a lot more than a slick candy-coated logo that will be out of date a year from now.

Comment on this entry...

1. Brian Ford Aug. 19th, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.

   I agree that it’s a neat idea, but…

   My brain seems to fight between seeing it as “we” and seeing it as “upside-down me”. I think it only got worse one you pointed out that it was an upside-down m.

   And, when I see it as the latter, it just feels like a mistake, rather than a clever twist, even though I know it’s intentional. So, for those who have brains that see things a little differently, do you think it’s okay that they may be slightly challenged by the logo before “getting” it?

   You mentioned the FedEx mark, and I think the difference is that if you don’t initially see the arrow, it doesn’t affect the cleanliness of the logo. It’s solid for other reasons. Once you do see the arrow, it’s almost like an easter-egg to an already well-designed logo.
   

   In this example, I feel like my initial perspective gives me some sort of reservation about the logo, I think “what is wrong, here” rather than “hey, that’s a nice looking logo — and, oh … wait — that’s clever…”

2. Kevin Aug. 20th, 2008 at 11:51 a.m.

   @Brian: I think it’s perfectly fine to have a logo, or design in general, that challenges people a bit before “getting” it. It adds to the effectiveness once people filter through and “get” it.

   You definitely run the risk of people not getting it, and that’s okay.

3. Scott G Aug. 21st, 2008 at 9:42 p.m.

   I like it, good eye :-) As you say quite clever and I didn’t really pick it up until you spotted it but I like how they maintain it throughout the website.

   I actually think that for those who ‘don’t get it’ the logo is still quite clean.

4. chris Aug. 25th, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.

   Here’s a logo I love, that’s somewhat similar, maybe a bit more obvious…

   http://www.smaworks.com/licensing/clients/logo/bigten.gif

5. Julio Dec. 29th, 2008 at 7:57 a.m.

   Green Te Spa and Candle Gift Basket. http://www.gift-baskets.artgiftbasket.com/spa-gift-baskets-c101/escape-p2134.html Ghirardelli chocolates and Coffee basket http://www.gift-baskets.artgiftbasket.com/holiday-gift-baskets-c407/ghirardelli-p10574.html .

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