Australia redesigns ‘Covid-tainted’ national logo

Australia has changed its national brand logo after the previous iteration was mocked for bearing a close resemblance to a Covid-19 particle. The new logo, which was unveiled on Friday, features a minimalist kangaroo made of boomerangs and ‘Australia’ in dark green capital letters below.

The logo will be accompanied with an “Only in Australia” tagline, according to local media reports. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said on Friday that the “strong nation brand and tagline will reinforce Australia’s reputation as an internationally competitive investment destination, a great place to visit, a quality provider of education, and a trusted exporter of premium goods and services.”

The design was chosen for reportedly being “representative of a modern, capable and inclusive country.”

New Australian design ©  Australian Trade and Investment Commission

The logo was changed after the last version – which was unveiled in July 2020 amid the global Covid-19 pandemic – was ridiculed for bearing a strong resemblance to a coronavirus cell.

While Australia’s Nation Brand Advisory Council argued at the time that the country’s traditional kangaroo symbol did not adequately represent Australia, critics such as Sky News host Chris Kenny claimed the image looked like the “coronavirus under a microscope” and said it was “insulting” that Australian taxpayers had to pay for it.

The design – which cost a whopping $10 million to create and was supposed to represent a wattle tree – was quietly retired after just a month of use.

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