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When a non-profit suffers from dysfunctional branding, it helps to have a board member qualified to say “let’s fix this.” For MT&R, it was the legendary adman Ed Ney, who sponsored a brand review by his friends at Landor Associates.

The name and mark “MT&R” were wrong in about every possible way, beginning with the decision to feature the initials as if they were a viable name. The full name was itself misleading and limiting; this is not a museum (with collections of stuff on display) and doesn’t want to be one, and while it began with television and radio, its current purpose is broader: “a center that convenes media leaders and enthusiasts for programs that explore and illuminate the immense and growing impact of all media on our lives, culture and society.”

When I heard Landor was working on this, I wondered how they could solve it. The name solution is brilliant; when you can possibly use a real name, use it! They were lucky that MT&R was founded by William F. Paley, whose a name is short, distinctive, and fondly remembered. Given “Paley,” “Center for Media” conveys function and scope, and “The” is here justified for enabling the three-syllable communicative name “The Paley.”

The circular wordmark, in which the name is actually repeated, was inspired by the thought of a camera’s focusing lens. Note how weighting and placement help seat “The Paley,” and associate it with “Media.” A clean and clever solution, stable yet dynamic.

The change was launched at a special event and promoted in a comprehensive news release (medium visibility).

Landor (NY)

Submitted by: Tony Spaeth, 11/03/2008
Status: Estimated by Tony Spaeth
Category: Public service
Country (HQ): United States