Royal Oak's Got a Brand New Brand

The following information came from a press release from the City of Royal Oak.

Action and culture, new urban and authentic, inclusive and progressive. These are the characteristics that define the City of Royal Oak, and its new brand.

The updated brand consists of a new logo, tagline, and departmental icons to tie everything together.  The new logo is a simple circular icon that features a stylized “RO”.  The modern, yet organic typography represents Royal Oak’s mix of an urban downtown and traditional neighborhoods.  A line connects the R and O at an angle to represent Woodward Avenue, and the circle signifies Royal Oak’s central location in Metro Detroit.  The sunset orange and cool gray color scheme characterizes the energy and playful nature of the City.

“Life Now Playing” was chosen as a tagline to symbolize the vibrancy of life in Royal Oak.  Residents and visitors can stroll through Royal Oak’s tree-lined neighborhoods, visit our more than fifty parks, explore culture in the downtown and nature at the zoo, cruise the historic Woodward Avenue, and attend any of the many events that call Royal Oak home.

The logo was designed by Ideation, a Royal Oak-based creative firm that has also worked with other neighboring communities and local nonprofits. Ideation gathered input from the City Commission, city staff, and local community organizations to arrive at the approved design and tagline. 

Numerous meetings were held as logo designs were critiqued and changed by a steering committee of city staff and local organizations. “The result is a logo that everyone felt best exemplifies the uniqueness that is Royal Oak,” says Jay Dunstan, Chair of the Downtown Development Authority.  
The former city logo, an oak tree with the city name in old English lettering, has appeared on the front of City Hall since the 1950’s and closely resembles city logos of other Michigan communities.

The new city logo is completely distinctive and fresh.  While the city is committed to maintaining Royal Oak’s historical charm, the new logo demonstrates the City’s efforts in continuing Royal Oak’s evolution into a 21st century community. “The image itself is cleaner and allows for optimal use on websites and social media platforms. It can be sized up or down and still look sharp and readable”, explains Don Johnson, the City Manager. “The icon, the RO in the color-filled circle, can be used in place of the logo where appropriate, and looks great in black and white.”

A brand family consisting of the official logo and nine additional icons were created to uniquely identify various city departments and committees in a consistent and recognizable manner. These logos will be used on all city letterhead, business cards, and envelopes.  The logos will also eventually be seen around the city on vehicles, signs, and possibly bumper stickers, T-shirts, and hats.

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