Hsinchu mayor's office spends $2.65 million on two logo redesigns, sparking criticism

Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an's administration has allocated 2.65 million New Taiwan dollars to redesign the city's brand visual logo twice during her tenure, sparking criticism from netizens who question the necessity and cost-effectiveness of the expenditure.

Online commentators pointed out that the combined cost of the two logo redesigns is equivalent to 2.76 times the budget for a font design project by the well-known designer Nieh Yung-chen, which cost 960,000 NTD. Critics also questioned the design of the new logo, describing its gradient of three lines as resembling the Ukrainian flag, arguing it lacks a connection to Hsinchu's city image. The lack of vocal opposition from political parties often critical of government spending was also noted.

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The new logo has neither Hsinchu City's urban image, and the gradient design of three lines resembles the colors of the Ukrainian flag, which has no relation to Hsinchu.

The Hsinchu City Government's Administration Office explained that the city's brand identity system (CIS) was developed to meet the demands of digital communication and conceptual exchange, aiming to integrate the city's characteristics and development vision to enhance public communication and marketing efforts. They clarified that the existing city emblem will continue to be used for official documents and credentials, while the new brand identity will be applied to city marketing, tourism promotion, international exchange, and digital outreach.

The 1.2 million NTD spent on the recent brand identity included research, logo design, typography, color specifications, and the production of promotional animations and videos. An earlier project in 2023, "Walking Forward in Hsinchu" (竹步前行), focused on visual identification for public construction site fences and safety signage, costing 1.45 million NTD. Combined with a 1.38 million NTD expenditure on a mascot named Pika, the total spending on logos and branding initiatives under Kao's administration amounts to 4.03 million NTD, which critics argue does not resonate with citizens or effectively represent the city's image.

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The city brand identity system (CIS) is in response to the needs of digital communication and conceptual exchange, integrating urban characteristics and development visions to enhance public communication and city marketing effectiveness.