Heaps bad: SA brand causes social media meltdown

South Australia’s new brand is launched with a sound and light show in Elder Park.

A FOLDED milk carton. A Monopoly hotel. Hideously disappointing. Conservative and boring.

It was launched with a slick sound and light show and the triumphant declaration "This is South Australia's new brand!"

But for many on adelaidenow and social media, last night's launch of SA's new brand logo, the response was more like "Is that it???"

The new logo, a bright red map of Australia, with the state of South Australia with doorways at its centre was unveiled by Premier Jay Weatherill at a public event at Elder Park.

The real logo, unveiled at Elder Park last night.

Designed by world-renowned branding expert Ken Cato, Mr Weatherill said the new logo would "communicate our unique identity".

But when the much-anticipated logo was finally revealed just after 9pm, Twitter users were largely unimpressed, slamming the logo as ugly, boring and stuck in the 1980s.

The big reveal also generated one of the biggest reactions to a post on adelaidenow's facebook page - more than 1100 comments.

One of the many parody images circulated on social media following the launch of SA's new brand. This one from Instagram user Declan Cumberdale (@declancumberdale).

The launch also prompted the creation of a Facebook page titled "Crappy new australia logo that cuts out SA. oh wait thats (sic) what?"

The 'About' section of the page read "SA - Excelling at mediocrity", but had only attracted two 'Likes' by 10am.

Meanwhile, SA's bold new logo attracted hundreds of comments on adelaidenow.

South Australia’s new brand unveiled, a Smithfield Plains house fire, and the investigation into illegal supplements in sport. Ten News

"It looks like an upside down Learner's plate" reader Ian Ramsay wrote.

"Heaps bad," fellow adelaidenow reader Susan Cox wrote, referencing "Heaps Good" the unique SA slogan, which also became a T-Shirt and one of the state's most popular marketing brands.

Twitter user Patrick Greene (@paddo2000) called the new logo "a folded farmers union iced coffee tetrapak".

Radio personality Belinda Heggen (@BelindaHeggen) tweeted: "I'm sorry, but I'm not inspired. And I so wanted to be".

Several pundits focused on the logo's doors - meant to signify SA as Australia's gateway.

ABC drive presenter Michael Smyth questioned whether the door might be for leaving by, not entering.

"Last one out, please shut the door?" he tweeted.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham tweeted "I love SA & we should have best years ahead. Shame @JayWeatherill made a big deal of #brandingsouthaustralia, bound to disappoint & it does".

But the new brand wasn't totally without support, mustering at least mildly positive comments from a minority of Twitter users.

Jen Hassam (@RhetoricComms), for example, said the new brand "wasn't that bad".

"Love the colours, reminds me of a South Australian sunset! Gotta talk ourselves up".

Zane Dean (@ZaneJD) called it "A little bit S**t but not bad".

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No words on brand South Australia

• TELL US: How should market SA to the world?

THERE will be no words to describe a re-branded South Australia - just a slick new logo.

Previous slogans have promised things such as a "brilliant blend" or a "gateway to the Outback" but SA's new brand will rely solely on a logo to sell the state.

Details of the news design are closely guarded but it was presented to Cabinet on Monday.

Premier Jay Weatherill will reveal the final product in an after-dark sound and light projection in Elder Park on March 6 that will be open to the public.

The team behind the brand, led by the Economic Development Board, decided not to pair the logo with a slogan to prevent it becoming rapidly out of date, and to ensure it could be used across government and the private sector in fields such as business, tourism and education.

The project budget will be revealed after it is launched. It is understood the money will come from existing budgets in such agencies as the Tourism Commission.

SA Tourism Commission marketing director David O'Loughlin said taglines were risky because they were often too limiting or open to misinterpretation.

"For example `SA: a brilliant blend' to many people meant wine, but it was actually intended to mean a brilliant blend of experiences," he said. "If you don't limit it to words, it's people's own imagination you're appealing to."

Mr O'Loughlin said brands based on simple design without a slogan were more recognisable and meaningful over time.

Mr Weatherill called for a new brand for the state during a trade mission to London in May, to clear up confusion about SA's location and what it has to offer.

"Too often, people are unaware of where South Australia is," he said.

"This brand will help South Australia be noticed in a way that sets us apart from other places."

Leaders of business, local government, community organisations and the media will this week receive invitations to the official launch in a marquee in Elder Park.

Mr Weatherill said it was important South Australians embraced the new brand and he encouraged people to join the public launch at Elder Park. A seven-minute audio-visual production will screen after 9pm and will be repeated on following nights.

Brand project leader Darren Thomas said most people who saw the brand - which has been designed by internationally recognised branding expert Ken Cato - would "get it straight away", but conceded others may be sceptical or uninterested.

The team has urged the public not to judge too quickly and to instead try to understand its meaning.

Mr O'Loughlin said while SA had "some great icons", such as the Barossa Valley or the Fringe Festival, the brand did not focus on one in particular but was intended to portray SA as a creative, innovative and "can do" place.

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