A schoolboy error by a graphic design intern at high-end creative agency Lippincott has resulted in the wrong eBay logo being launched on the global stage.
Gavin Spinks, 17, was tasked with running the new logo design out on his high-end inkjet just in time for eBay CEO John Donahue to deliver a keynote presentation to the world’s media. But Gavin had failed to install the correct font on his Dell PC. Consequently, instead of the new logo being a graceful evolution from the old, crass but familiar, vertically-haphazard namestyle to something that embodies the essence of striking typographic beauty as befits a global brand, Gavin’s version of the logo — and now ours — looks like the bastard love child of Microsoft’s Arial font and a load of anorexic fridge magnets huddling together for warmth.
A frazzled art director is reported to have cried, ‘Fuck it, let’s go with it. They’re shit payers anyway.’
Too late to cancel the launch event, eBay’s marketing department hurriedly cobbled together some poetic justifications for the logo’s new look. The last-minute ‘logo narrative’ has added 50% to the total cost because of the need to employ a team of dead-eyed, faux-enthusiastic copywriters skilled at writing algorithmic copy that says nothing but has senior executives wetting themselves.
“We’ve leveraged the iconic colour arrangement and approachable form to reflect eBay’s heritage and evolved it with a brighter blue and darker yellow, and a streamlined arrangement to create more visual harmony,” said a marketing spokesperson for Lippincott.
“No we haven’t,” said Spinks, “we forgot to install Microgramma Bold Extended, the same one used on the USS Enterprise.”
“That’s not true,” chipped in an eBay spokesperson. “We retained core elements of our logo, including our iconic colour palette. Our vibrant eBay colours and touching letters represent our connected and diverse eBay community.”
“No they don’t,” said Spinks. “typefaces always do that crammed up thing when the correct font isn’t installed.”
Ironically, the new logo is now for sale on eBay, but has yet to secure any bidders.
“We’ve put it on the 7-day sale and thrown in some free Buffy videos, so we’re hopeful we’ll get a bite,” said a disconsolate Donohue.
The founding fathers of modern typography Adrian Frutiger, Eric Gill and Max Miedinger are all reported to be spinning in their graves, and Adrian Frutiger's not even dead yet.
Comic Sans designer Vincent Connare said, “I like it.”
