How the new Sydney Mardi Gras logo was born

It´s Valentine´s Day tomorrow, so I´m telling you the story on how the new logo for the Mardi Gras festival was born. Told by Moon Communication, the agency behind the campaign. 

"The naming of Sydney Mardi Gras and creation of its new identity was more than a simple rebranding exercise. It also signalled a new, farther reaching strategy. A more inclusive purpose that holds true to the past and looks the future, appealing to a younger generation that no longer feels pressured to identify themselves by their sexuality.

“By celebrating the power and beauty of diversity, Mardi Gras inspires the world to love one another.”

We helped articulate this bold statement with members of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Organisation, and if any proof was needed of its truth, you only had to witness how we brought it life.

For three weeks the creative breakout area became MardiGrasVille. All were encouraged to contribute - gay and straight, male and female, old and new, creative and suit - everyone had a go. Images, sketches, scribbles, words, phrases, fonts and colours covered and recovered the walls and floor. Ideas mattered, opinions changed; freedom flourished, banal banished; styles clashed and complemented (as did our creatives). But in the end, the ridiculous gave way to the sublime, and the work of a very talented, young, straight boy from the Shire shone through - James Calpis.

Two hearts, both equal, meeting and kissing to form the infinity symbol. Its simplicity and symmetry says it all without words: love for all time, love for all kind. For some it even whispers of the butterfly that adorned the 1978 poster, the first page in the glorious book of Mardi Gras.

So far, it has been proudly tattooed, colourfully graffitied, endlessly doodled, sculptured in the sands of Bondi, made into a massive mirror-ball, writ large across Centennial Park by huge human kissing-chain; and soon it will festoon the streets of Sydney as the excitement and fun of Mardi Gras once again consumes locals and visitors alike.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisation will continue to run the show, and the parade, festival and parties will always celebrate the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersexual communities. But now everyone who has a message of love to the world is invited and welcome to play a part.    

The GLBTQI communities are diverse and change always has its supporters and detractors. Many have fought long and hard to be recognised and are rightly protective of all that Mardi Gras has achieved. So we created this video to launch the new identity and help convey the reasoning behind this next step on the path towards unquestioned acceptance and equality for all.

How this epic love story will play out in the years to come – who knows? We pray it never ends. But for now, we’re hoping that boy gets boy, girl gets girl, boy gets girl, and they all live happily married ever after.

Author: Michael PickeringMy friend Christofer who is a member of The European Parliament posted this on his website a while back, presenting the legal situation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Europe. What colour are you? :)