‘Hire a Professional’: Doordarshan’s New Logos Criticised Online

‘Hire a professional’ and ‘keep the old logo’ were some of the responses to Prasar Bharati’s tweet.

Prasar Bharati, on Tuesday, 21 May, announced the winners for a logo competition conducted by Doordarshan between 23 July 2017 and 20 August 2017. Prasar Bharati’s Twitter account posted the top five logo designs, selected out of a total of 10,000 entries.

Doordarshan Logo Contest - Here are the top 5 logo designs selected out of more than 10,000 entries. pic.twitter.com/qV8Ni2Zkj8

— Prasar Bharati (@prasarbharati) May 20, 2019

“Prasar Bharati would also like to congratulate each and everyone on the outstanding efforts taken to make a Logo for Doordarshan with a new aspiration and keeping the nostalgia alive,” read a blog on the Government of India website.

‘Hire a Professional’: Netizens React to Doordarshan’s Top Five Logos

The logos, however, received heavy criticism on Twitter, with many questioning the quality of the designs selected.

Look at the 4th logo. With a Kabootar. If this was in the Top 5. Don't know baaki 9995 entries kaisi thi. https://t.co/HL73Rnyf0u

— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) May 21, 2019

Looking at these, I think the current one is still better.. https://t.co/reWoKfAFMm

— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) May 20, 2019

Siddharth Singh, author of The Great Smog of India, wrote, “Logos should never be selected from contests. Hire real designers, pay them, and ask them to build a brand’s entire design language, not just a logo.”

These are terrible in their current forms. Logos should never be selected from contests. Hire real designers, pay them, and ask them to build a brand’s entire design language, not just a logo. https://t.co/MV1cHChXsr

— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) May 21, 2019

Why hire a branding firm when you can instead spend your time going through 10,000 *logo* ideas for free?

Hoping @prasarbharati will replace that boring old logo with the beautiful red gradient ribbon & pigeon option! #PaisaBachaoContestChalao https://t.co/xxoQ2kSKYg

— Rasagy Sharma (@rasagy) May 21, 2019

@JaskiratSB I'll tell you the problems apart from obvious lack of quality. Channel logos have to be designed in 3D. It needs to be modelled and then animated. I've handled project for 3 channels and always the logos have to be submitted with perspectives 1/n

— 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗢𝗗 (@slyandsulk) May 21, 2019

Can someone help @prasarbharati with better design? https://t.co/Z8EvzIly0a

— Karthik Rao (@WandererElusive) May 21, 2019

A few netizens made a case for freelance artists and communities.

If you held it on Instagram, promoting this within artist communities, you'd have got the response of your life.

This looks like a brilliant chance missed for young creatives to send in their work, and for you!!

— Lavanya ಲಾವಣ್ಯ লাৱণ্যা (@TheSignOfFive) May 21, 2019

Should have paid freelancers for doing this instead of the promised ‘exposure’ they’ll get in making logo of DD. https://t.co/AV0J9RLrBo

— P.H. (@phand00) May 21, 2019

‘Keep the Old Logo,’ Tweeple Tell Doordarshan

Many asked Doordarshan to simply keep the old logo instead of picking from any of the new ones.

What was the need? Why kill the timeless logo with lame one. https://t.co/O3TSdyqeog

— Karthi (@subatomic) May 21, 2019

How about sticking with the current logo for now? All these designs look terrible, especially the 4th one 🤐 https://t.co/9n4XBL1jnv

— MS👨‍⚕️ (@sarkaridoc) May 21, 2019

Prasar bharti.. really??? That's the best you could find? Instead of these embarrassments, stick to your old logo. Or reopen the contest for better entries! https://t.co/Vpfxr8kdiG

— Raghu (@raghukalra) May 21, 2019

What do you think of Doordarshan’s selected logos? Tell us in the comments.