One of the most recognized logos on the planet, The Peace Symbol, turned 50 a few days ago. I thought it might be interesting to see what present-day youngsters think about this significant symbol, so I asked my daughter Amy - a soon-to-be college journalism student - to weigh in with some notes about the event. Accordingly, and without further adieu, here’s the first ever ‘Guest Blog’ in the Factor’s 4 year history.

From what I can remember, the peace symbol was a prominent part of the 60’s, and 70’s, adopted by a new wave of people to represent their ‘feelings’. It served as this symbolic contradiction of everything that the Vietnam War was, and since then has become one of the most universally familiar symbols, easily recognized regardless of language or region.

It has phased in and out of popularity, was loved and hated, deemed once tacky and then cool again. However, through its fifty years of life, the physical design of the peace symbol has remained constant, while its early supporters have aged. It’s meaning has varied slightly, the interpretations of the mark expanded, but the message - the simple black and white of it - has always stayed the same.

Peace. Respect. Love.

Today that symbol turns 50, but in no way does that make it dated, the message silly or old fashioned. In fact, there’s this faint sense of appropriateness, of perfect timing. The way I see it is, the peace sign and what it represents, in whatever variation, seems just as relevant now as ever.

50 years ago, the Peace Symbol made it’s debut on the banners and picket signs of thousands of British protesters, incensed over the development of a nuclear industry. Anti-Nuclear crusaders, teamed with the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), marched, like so many angry villagers, 50 miles to a weapons factory in Aldermaston, but rather than pitch forks and torches, they had the peace symbol–

Thanks to one Gerald Holtom, designer and former World War II conscientious objector, who believed an image to go with the message was necessary, to give everything a bit of a kick. When designed those 50-years-ago, the peace symbol stood for “Ban the Bomb”, the symbol itself having originated as a graphic flag-slang deconstruction of N and D. Nuclear Disarmament. Nuclear Failure. Bombs are bad.

From then until now, the Peace Symbol has always stood beside anyone with a wish for change, a wish for something better. A forever faithful friend of progress, of better times. And though the 60’s have come and gone, fashions have changed, the dynamics of society have changed, and the peace symbol may not be cool to sport on clothes just as its distant cousin, tie dye, has been relegated to clothing store discount bins.

The peace symbol has had a few resurgences here and there - I distinctly remember it finding popularity again in the mid- 90’s, worn as jewelry, stamped on shirts and hats. Patches sewn on jeans. It was a fashion statement, yet it somehow deemed you free, loving. An enlightened person because it made you so above petty hate. Then, it was a mere call-back to the 60’s, simply doing as fashion statements are wont to do. The concept the logo stands universally for - promotion of peace and love - will never be dated, never be tacky, and will always be relevant.

Guest blog - Amy Douglas.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 24th, 2008 at 5:04 pm and is filed under Logo design news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.