British National Export Council B.N.E.C. – What's the concept?
The concept behind Negus & Sharland's 1964 logo for the British National Export Council
The British National Export Council was established in 1964 as a partnership between industry and Government to promote and grow British exports to the world.
As an effort to unify the various organisational bodies and businesses that made up the council, it required an authoritative identity and logo.
With this authority in mind, Negus & Sharland developed a logo from an abstraction of the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom.
By gradually rationalising parts of the flag the designer’s were able to preserve the atmosphere of authority of a well-established symbol whilst also creating something new.
In conjunction with a left pointing arrow set within the negative space of the flag, the logo gave the organisation a sense of “visual drive and modernity”.
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