News
12 July 2010
Zync rebrands Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
TORONTO—When Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (formerly Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan) wanted a refresh, it called on Zync. Principal and creative director at Zync, Marko Zonta, says the company has a fairly long relationship with the organization. “When the project came up, they gave us a call to help out.”

Zync used vibrant
Zync used a vibrant green to avoid confusion with environmental issues


HOOPP is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and wanted to re-launch with a new look and name that broadens its reach and reflects its service to members, says Zonta. The goal was to create a logo and design that reflected the organization's stability, growth and compassionate nature. “We wanted to create a nurturing look, the idea of the tree came from that.”

Vibrant colours were used in addition to the traditional foliage green to avoid confusion with environmental issues, says Zonta. The font is a modified Gotham, to better reflect and tie in with the tree icon. Contact: Zync.ca, Hoopp.com



— Val Maloney
   
Comments:
1. Anonymous says:
12 July 2010 at 8:49 PM
Sorry, let me get this straight. In order to differentiate HOOPP from environmental causes (not sure why a pension plan would be mistaken for an environmental cause, but OK), you chose the colour green?

Surely we'd be hard pressed to find an environmental cause using the colour green… oh, except 2 posts down in the ad for green bins… oh, and right below that in the ad for Sappi paper…
2. Anonymous says:
13 July 2010 at 7:02 AM
Yup, and when you realize you've designed an environmental logo for a pension plan, try to divert attention by adding additional "vibrant colours". Brilliant.

Because we all know the only way to illustrate growth is by using a tree and the colour green…
3. Anonymous says:
14 July 2010 at 10:08 PM
"Compassionate nature" does not equal "nature."

Using only one element – the colour green, tree or leaf – is fine but when putting three elements together it does not translate as Health Care Pension Plan, especially when environmentalism is such a hot and strong concept in everybody's mind. It should be more in-depth or they are way too over-thinking.
4. Anonymous says:
15 July 2010 at 11:50 AM
is it just me or does the icon look a lot like the Cotton Incorporated logo?
5. Ben says:
16 July 2010 at 1:23 PM
I agree, this "solution" used the top 3 design eco-cliches...

1. Tree
2. Green
3. Gotham

yet Zinc has the nerve to talk about this as if it is design innovation

“We wanted to create a nurturing look, the idea of the tree came from that.”

The idea of a tree came? fyi, this is not an idea

Designers have to move beyond this kind of PR rhetoric about expected work... if we are ever to be taken seriously
6. Anonymous says:
19 July 2010 at 10:26 AM
If I saw this logo 15 years ago, I still wouldn't have seen the connection between Green/Tree/Pension Plan. This is not innovative. There was no thinking behind this. Maybe Zinc should reconsider showcasing their work to public.
7. Josh says:
19 July 2010 at 12:41 PM
I agree... we can all differ on design taste, but whether or not you 'like' the logo, this visual identity is more appropriate for an environmental charity or gardening center, not a pension plan.

Zinc might have had a reason for overdoing the growth theme, but in the end, the public will be confused at first glance and assume HOOPP has something to do with being 'green' ...sometimes a rebrand can do more harm than good.
8. Anonymous says:
21 July 2010 at 4:53 PM
Public Relations 101, day 1, lesson 1 - In a press release, NEVER point out your flaws…
9. Anonymous says:
25 July 2010 at 12:12 AM
"Vibrant colours were used in addition to the traditional foliage green to avoid confusion with environmental issues, says Zonta"

what? clearly they failed.

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