There is a company called Babymafia. They import educational toys for children from the USA and sell them in Russia, they have a gangster name and they want us to design their logo.
And there are also standard logos for products for children that all look like twins: a doll, a sun, a cloud, a child’s hand print, something incoherent and blue and pink in color.
And then there is us, we agreed to create a logo for Babymafia and are confused. Children... Mafia... At the first glance, these notions have as much in common as a road sign and a cake.
We started by searching for a bright graphic metaphor that would connect children and mafia.
How about mischief? Children are always misbehaving, they are gangsta when they’re naughty. Why not build an image around that? “Aha!” we exclaimed and created a series of logos that look like drawings on wallpaper.
(Spoiler: the result wasn’t good).
What if we show it as membership in a secret society? Mafia is a secret thing and children have lots of important secrets they keep from adults. “Wow!” we exclaimed and created a series of logos that look like codes and the “Top Secret” stamp.
(Spoiler: the result wasn’t great).
Then came the time for truly bold ideas. Let’s have a toddler mount the logo, draw a child’s head in a colander, or a child thug!
(Do we need to explain all of that failed, too?)
And then, when everyone got really tired, a revelation! The coolest “mafia” are superheroes, they kick ass, they are surrounded by mystery, they save the world and wear great costumes. Why not draw a superman child in the logo?
Easy. Taking the main letters of the company’s name, B and M, and using them to create a mini Batman. Using the letter B to make glasses, the M for a nose and a fringe on top.
Done!
Placing the logo against a white and yellow background. The broken junctions of yellow and white are associated with eggs and add even more childishness to the logo.
Finally done!
We are looking at the real Babymafia.
art director
designer
secret advisor
project manager
