Make Your Church Logo a Flexible Logo

The logo used to be something that remained unchanging and resistant to the elements around it. Many franchises and brands that have existed for quite some time (I’m thinking of brands like Wendy’s and Coke) don’t adapt their brand all that much. This used to be the standard. Guess what.

It isn’t anymore.

Logos are not the unchanging monoliths they used to be. They are, anymore, dynamic within their environments. Churches need to be ready to mold their branding to fit their environments if they want to be a part of the new trend in branding. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, start looking into recent brands and see how they let their branding mold into its surroundings. It’s pretty cool.

5 Ways to Make Your Church Logo More Flexible

1. Keep a PSD of your logo in different forms. My first suggestions may be the biggest time saver on this list. Start up a file, preferably  PSD at 300 dpi(Dots Per Inch) or so and copy your logo each time you use it in a new way. Save each iteration, at the same size or so, that way you have a collection, or a gallery, of the ways your logo has been put to use. This is something I’ve done for a while now, and it’s worked out wonderfully for me.
2. Incorporate it into posters and series materials in fun ways. If you don’t do posters, then think brochures. If not that, your website. Basically anything that carries church-wide branding clout, try something fresh. If your branding has something electronic on it, what would your logo look like in green, glowing, digital clock lines? If it’s something for the kids, what about forming your abbreviated letters out of pieces of candy? Honestly, if it’s done well enough, your entire branding (or at least a cool advertisement) may just be a new take on your logo.
3. Try a “weathered” look. It may seem cliche, but honestly try it out. Sometimes it looks cool, depending on the logo, and can spark new ideas. Maybe it belongs on a Saturday night service, or something targeting a younger demographic, but there is a use out there for it.
4. Experiment with new colors. This one kind of goes along with my first suggestion. Any colors you like, try washing your logo in that same combination. Who knows, maybe it will spark something and a whole new re branding process. If it’s for the better, it needs to happen.
5. Have fun with effects. Try mimicking effects with your logo. What about points of color, as if it was an up-close of it printed? Or try fixing your logo to a wall or a bag (often called Photoshop-ing something) and see how it looks. Overall, get a good feel for where your logo works and doesn’t work. If you can’t have fun with it, and it isn’t flexible in these ways, it may not be the best logo to have.

Remember, above all, to have fun with it. If you’re having fun with it the energy will bleed over into your work. Also, try and keep a record of what inspires you. Really this works across the board with creative stuff, but it’s good here too. Find logos you like, and cool ways of adapting logos that excite you (think Bounty on a football field—clip that out of the magazine and save it!) and pull them out the next time you hit a creative block.

How do you use your logo creatively? If there’s something that might inspire some individuals reading this, post a comment!