Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, has unveiled a new look to better capture its vibrant growth and diverse offerings. With 1,306,784 residents in the city and 1,481,806 in the metropolitan area as of 2021, Calgary is Canada’s third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area. Known for its high standard of living, Calgary was named the best place to live in Canada and the third most livable city worldwide in 2022 by The Economist Intelligence Unit. The city attracts businesses and residents due to its low sales tax, affordable cost of living, and abundant job opportunities. In addition to being the center of Canada’s oil and gas sector, Calgary is home to 118 of the country’s largest business headquarters and a thriving film industry. The city also offers around 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of parkland for public use and recreation, alongside a wealth of artistic and cultural offerings.
Tourism Calgary and Calgary Economic Development, together with the local design studio Daughter, introduced a new identity for the city to boost its economy and enhance its international standing. The redesign aims to unify Calgary’s visual representation and highlight its dynamic and multifaceted nature.
The previous logos for Calgary Economic Development and Tourism Calgary featured a wordmark typeset in Myriad, a functional but uninspiring typeface that failed to reflect the city’s dynamic essence. The Tourism logo included:
- A cowboy hat.
- Alluding to the annual Calgary Stampede.
- A well-known rodeo and celebration.
However, this narrow focus did not capture the broad appeal of Calgary’s diverse offerings.
The new logo’s main motif is an abstract “C” made of beads, representing the idea that “small individual elements of varying shapes, sizes, colors, and compositions come together to create a stronger, more beautiful whole.” The sun-shaped arrangement of the beads exudes vitality and optimism, making it both striking and appealing. The design gains structure and regularity through a gridded method for the beads.
In its basic form, the sun-shaped “C” aligns perfectly with Calgary’s nickname as the “Blue Sky City” and adds a pop of color to the light blue, white, and yellow palette. The condensed sans serif typography of the wordmark complements the “C” design nicely. Notably, the wordmark’s unusual and enduring “g,” whose ear precisely aligns with the “l,” adds a special touch. To create a unified and eye-catching logo system, “BLUE SKY CITY” is also placed in a complementary sans serif, with the three lines stacked and the sun at the top.
Beyond the main logo, the bead motif offers a variety of shapes, silhouettes, and curves. These interchangeable components allow flexibility in diverse application needs while preserving coherence. The beads’ strength further increases the brand’s adaptability, allowing them to be employed as independent graphic elements in specific situations.
Graphik is the main brand typeface for the new identity, especially in its Super weight. This typeface packs a vivid and striking visual punch when paired with a straightforward but striking color scheme. The overall design is so confidently created that it flows even with a slight disparity between Graphik and the logo.
Calgary’s revised logo represents the city’s aspiration and modernism, not merely its appearance. It encapsulates Calgary’s innovative spirit and status as one of Canada’s top cities. The updated logo and visual identity aim to help Calgary stand out internationally and attract tourists, businesses, and new residents, creating a cohesive and distinctive image.
Implementing the new identity across various channels and applications, including websites, social media, merchandising, and public signage, will strengthen Calgary’s reputation as a dynamic, diverse, and welcoming city. With its new visual identity, Calgary is taking a significant step forward, honoring its history while moving confidently into the future. The joint endeavor of Tourism Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, and Daughter has yielded a design emblematic of Calgary’s distinct personality and progressive methodology.
