New SciFi Logo

There's been a significant number of major redesigns making the news lately. Tropicana has drawn jeers for its new generic-inducing look and Pepsi has changed its logo from a wave to a smirk.

The SciFi Channel is nex ton the list of those companies looking for a brand change and it has made a doozy of a change. SciFi is now SyFy. Why you ask? According to an article by Stuart Elliot for The New York Times, one of the reasons, “...is that Sci Fi is vague — so generic, in fact, that it could not be trademarked. Syfy, with its unusual spelling, can be...” Also stated was the fact that SciFi as a term tended to make people think strictly of alines and space. The company wanted a logo that said more. The surrent logo “...didn’t capture the full landscape of fantasy entertainment: the paranormal, the supernatural, action and adventure, superheroes.”

New Logo

Old Logo

I am a fan of the new logo in terms of typography and overall lockup. The kerning is spot on and the font is friendly and a bit retro/SciFi feeling with the rounded f. The rounded f also ties back to the old logo, making an evolutionary change, not totally abandoning its roots. The elimination of the Saturn icon also helps pull the logo away from strictly an alien/space related theme.

As for the name, my jury is still out on that debate. I understand the company needing to find something ownable for them. SciFi is a generic terms. I agree that someone quickly texting the name would likely be spelled syfy. I disagree that a spelling change alone will make people think of something beyond aliens and space when they hear the words being spoken. If someone unfamiliar with the channel pronounced it, would they say SciFi (long i) or SeeFee (long e) or Sifi (short i)? I'm not 100% slam-dunk convinced, but I'm willing to give it some time to see what happens.

Veer Scores Big!

This is the news I've been waiting to hear. Veer now has a low budget "marketplace" for stock imagery just like iStockphoto, luckyoliver and others. While I am all for paying full price for limited rights of a stock image, this option helps out my economically challenged clients AND students who have little money.
Veer is now offering "over 100,000 images priced as low as $1." Yeppers, those low budget jobs will now have another source, one I very much prefer. The range goes from $20 for XXL images (approx. 11 x 17 @ 300dpi) down to $1 for XS images (approx. 4 x 6 @ 72 dpi).
I have tooted Veer's horn many times over the years and I'm happy to do it again. Thanks, Veer, for thinking of the little (and poor) guy during these tough economic times.

Oh, and they're offering $10 credit to any new registrations so go check them out.