When designing a new logo, the aim is usually to create an identity that's unique to the brand and that can't be imitated. Nobody told that to Elon Musk when he rebranded Twitter using a generic unicode character, and now The Green Party of Canada appears to have taken off-the-shelf branding even further.
Yes, the party's new logo is an emoji, and a very simple one. But while it may break some logo design rules, there's a strong argument in favour of using such a simple, available and easily reproducible brand identity.
The Green Party of Canada has unveiled its rebrand just weeks before a possible snap federal election. It says it sees the new logo's resemblance to an emoji as a strength rather than a weakness. And it has a point.
Elon Musk has taken to tweeting about X using the unicode character, thereby embedding branding in even the simplest of text messages. Similarly, for a political party, a brand asset that everybody already has on their devices could become a powerful tool for grassroots members.
"The great thing about this logo is that it is easily reproducible… It is also an emoji, quite frankly," Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault said at a news conference. "We want this logo to be representative. But also, we want people to feel some ownership towards it. And there's no better way for that to happen than making it easy for people to reproduce."
When it comes to political branding, concerns about the potential misuse of the identity aren't necessarily as paramount as they are with commercial brands. Or at least, there are more important objectives: symbolism, fostering a sense of belonging, ease of recognition, and ease of repetition to build momentum. A simple emoji provides an easy way for people to express and share their support for the party in a digital era in which social media posts and text messages have largely replaced traditional canvassing.
