Rebranding the license plate

Why do we accept cheesy license plates but scoff at tourist t-shirts and key chains? It’s just plain inconsistent. I mention it because several states are giving their plates a new look this year.  In the article below, Fast Company features some of the more tragic re-designs. Take a look.

And this website tracks the license plate changes over the last 50 years for all 50 states. I’ll only say this: Texas’s design is steadily deteriorating. In my humble opinion, of course.

-Azy

From Fast Company:

“Back to the future” best describes the new license plate issued by New York State in April. The “Empire Gold” design which is now appearing on streets, has been deemed “quite unappealing” by more than 80 percent of New Yorkers polled by WCBSTV.

New Yorkers: Consider yourselves lucky.

Compared to some states, New York’s design is a prize winner. Proof can be found at David Nicholson’s Web site 15q.net. It examines the evolution of U.S. license plate design over the past fifty years from the purely functional to the frightfully fanciful.

Plate designs have become graphically congested and legibility is often compromised. From a design standpoint I think license plates fall into three categories:

The Acceptable

This plate is so harmless it says nothing in the right way.

The Unfortunate

This is a “more is more” design where everything is as important as it can be.

…and the So Bad It’s Good

With TWO state mottos, snowy peaks, a skier and Native American petroglyphs, the only things missing are images of the Utah Jazz, Sundance Film Festival and the Great Salt Lake.

In many states, license plates can be a form of personal branding. The State of Washington offers no less than 45 designs from which to choose. If you want fellow motorists to know you’re a Mason, a firefighter or a square dancer, there’s a plate for you. Custom plates are revenue generators for budget strapped states so I applaud the strategy–but the designs could be better.

….

Read the rest of the article, including 3 designers’ re-imagining of the TX, CA, and IL plates.