Which 'Boycott Jamaica' Logo is Best?
Cast Your Vote Now!
A handful of gays in San Francisco will launch a boycott of Jamaican products and tourism on March 28 at noon at Harvey Milk Plaza because of violence and human rights abuses suffered by GLBT people down there. I'll be sending out a release on the Saturday kick-off tomorrow.
But today, I need your help evaluating three fine logos that all send the same message: Boycott Jamaica. Not sure which is the absolute best for our campaign, or if there should be only one official logo for us organizers to promote. Give them all a looking-over, then leave a comment about which you approve of the most.
But today, I need your help evaluating three fine logos that all send the same message: Boycott Jamaica. Not sure which is the absolute best for our campaign, or if there should be only one official logo for us organizers to promote. Give them all a looking-over, then leave a comment about which you approve of the most.
Here is my favorite, because it delivers the message, No Myers's, cruises or Red Stripe beer, without words. I'm also partial to logos that feature the international "no" symbol. Would this image be more effective with "Boycott Jamaica" added underneath? This was designed by Wayne Besen, a boycott organizer.
Two snaps up for using an existing, well-recognized corporate symbol and subverting it for gay political purposes. Boycott Jamaica is readable, but the line above, "No To Gaybashing No To Red Stripe & Myers's Rum", is hard to make out. Same goes for the Jamaica tourism board's slogan in red letters, which I think confuses the boycott message. This was created by Clinton Fein, artist and political activist.
I found this image on the GBMNews site and approve of the message getting across through text as the eyes scroll down. But visually, it doesn't resonate with me, and I wonder if the Jamaican Lion of Judah in green is recognizable to a wide cross-section of people. Not sure who designed the image.
Finally, here is an excerpt of a news story from Jamaica that I wasn't aware of until yesterday, and provides more reasons why this boycott is necessary, and overdue.
March 31, 2008
The Jamaica Star
Though incident-free for the most part, there were at least two major events that marred yesterday's staging of Jamaica Carnival 2008.
Men, believed to be gay, earned the wrath of spectators who attacked them damaging a bus and injuring a police officer.
Superintendent Lenval Hutton, who was on the scene, said the parade was moving along Waterloo Road when, upon reaching the intersection with West Kings House Road, some men joined the parade.
The men were allegedly gyrating and wining on each other and this angered spectators who started to stone them. Police, in an attempt to prevent any further incident, placed four of the men into a police bus which was working at the festivities. However, this did not stop the spectators from continuing to attack the men. Someone threw a stone through the window of the bus, shattering one of the windows and cutting the hand of a corporal who was also in the bus.
One of the men who were attacked was slashed across the forehead. The police did not hold anyone in connection with the incident as the perpetrator ran off. But the Superintendent said a report was made at the Half-Way Tree Police Station and the matter is being investigated.
The men were taken to the police station where they were released.
Anyone know what "wining on each other" could mean?
12 comments:
Mick: I like the Red Stripe parody best and think it's the most recognizable and artistic. Make the tagline more legible by placing it above the stripe, maybe in the upper left corner, employing a bolder typeface. Do likewise with the sub-tag, "Let's get together and feel alright," by placing it in the lower right corner, maybe in italics.
this came from HA:
the cruise ship is best - text underneath: in small fonts - No Jamaica
and this is from MEM:
I agree with you, the first is by far the best (3 "no" circles) but it needs text to identify WHY a boycott.
Clinton's just plain sucks. It's not a well-recognized symbol to me, the words above "Boycott Jamaica" are impossible to read, and the eye goes immediately to "Let's get together and feel alright" which negates any sense of outrage.
I'd place the last entry in 2nd place above Clinton's, only for purposes of clarity. It's graphically clear, but I wouldn't know about the lion symbol. Again, this one doesn't say WHY a boycott. I think that is important, is it not?
The second one, the Red Stripe is has most impact and will reproduce best on posters, handbills t-shirts, etc.
BD sends along this message:
I like Clinton's best followed by the first one you like.
Clinton's has a satiric edge which I think will make it more popular than
the slash symbol which is dated.
But they're both good, third one is too obtuse and doesn't have Gay feel
Hope it's OK to share these comments
I like Wayne Besen's best - it's the bestens - but the message would be clearer if it had the word Jamaica with the international symbol for no on top of it.
HH shares this explanation:
WINE: is literally a corruption of "wind" and means to dance, sometimes seductively.
#2, thank you.
While I agree with you that the copy's a bit small--too much to read on #2, that version has the POP necessary for attention--#1 comes in second.--
Hey there... I found this through KOS - I can never resist offering logo advice ;)
The red swish has the strongest visual impact and identity... I'd drop the illegible top line and change the bottom text to read
... because gaybashing is not "alright"
If you want to list specific products, I'd do it above the stripe... No Myer's, No Red Stripe, No Cruises.
I understand the simple appeal of the first one, but as someone on the outside, it reads as meaningless. "No Beer, No Ships? Huh?" As a logo, the slash/circle is really pretty tired, but if you wind up using it, it needs explanatory text. People who are unsure about many gay rights issues will react strongly against gay-bashing... so be sure to make the reason for the boycott evident.
Ah, the wisdom of the crowds is correct. Door #2 is definitely the best graphically. Like all good graphic artists, the person who created it is probably dyslexic and doesn't read so the type above and below is a bit too small. Doesn't matter. It's witty and powerful design. And as somebody who has overused the international NO symbol in various presentations myself, the previous commenters are right. It's tired.
Michael,
your call to boycott Jamaica &/or Jamaican brands because some Jamaicans are violently anti-gay is not very responsible. Like everywhere else in the world, the people of Jamaica are split into four categories when it comes to this issue: 1. Pro-Gay, 2. No opinion on the issue, 3. Anti-Gay, and 4. Violently anti-gay.
There are many people, groups, and organizations that have been working, and continue to work, tirelessly to end violence against gays in Jamaica. Most well-thinking Jamaicans don't condone violence against gays, or anyone else for that matter, and many of us are for equal rights for all Jamaican citizens.
The people of the world should understand two very important points about this issue:
1. There are laws in Jamaica against buggery. These laws are still present in most of the English-Speaking Caribbean. We inherited these laws from England (not bashing England, we love England...just the truth). There are many who believe that the first step to end violence against gays in Jamaica is to repeal the buggery laws. Such calls over the years have not been met favorably with the Jamaican masses and the different Jamaican governments. Jamaican politicians risk becoming unpopular if they move to repeal these laws, so they stay away.
The Buggery Act was adopted in England in 1534, with the penalty being hanging. It was later passed on to all the English colonies. The penalty of hanging was lifted in England in 1861 and the Act itself was repealed in England in 1967 (fairly recently). So history shows that changing mindsets on this issue can be tedious.
Read more about this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buggery_Act_1533
2. Jamaica is a very young country that has been struggling to get ahead. We became independent in 1962. We are a great revered country and the entire world loves us. But the truth be told, we have been struggling to get our economy and society right. And we've done well and have made great progress, especially in light of the fact that we are a country that started out in 1962 with really little money and commitments to help us that have long been dried up.
So change takes time. And change is underway in Jamaica regarding treatment of gays. Years gone by in Jamaica all gays were closeted. Today in Jamaica gays have been enjoying greater freedoms and acceptance. Eventually, Jamaica will resolve this problem, and all gays in Jamaica will live in perfect freedom. But boycotting our great revered country will not help and bad-talking us in the global community will not help.
People visit Jamaica to relax, have fun, and feel good. Many openly gays visit Jamaica each year and enjoy all Jamaica has to offer without any negative vibe. Jamaica is slowly becoming accepting of gays and eventually gays in Jamaica will live in complete freedom. But this cannot happen before the rightful time. Again, Jamaica is a young country and eventually we will get EVERYTHING right.
See you in Jamaica.
Bonita Jamaica
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