What am I supposed to do with this?

[Firefox]

Use the old logo and design a new one with a tag line: From this (sickly logo) to this (your new cool logo) in a flash.

He'll get his sick crap and you get to show your long time good guy what a real logo can look like if done right. If you are lucky he will like what you come up with and drop the goofy 70's design and go with yours.

Second best is he likes the idea of going from crap to cool!

Third he likes his poo and want's you to stop trying to dis what he paid good money for!

PS: Until I blew up the thumb nail pic. I too thought why is a lawn guy doing computer repair!

 

[The Vector Doctor]

A design of this caliber requires the use of Comic Sans. If you use a nice font or layout.... lipstick meet pig

 

[Border]

some people just don't know the difference, no matter how hard you try to show them!

 

[OldPaint]

this is one of the times.............people in this business NEED ART ABILITY & or know people like JOHN DEATON............iam super positive john could make you something for this guy(you can sell) to a good customer..........

 

[skyhigh]

Good luck with that one Pat.

 

[signcrafters london]

Here you go. One thing I forgot to do was arch the text, though. I guess you can do that part.

 

[signmeup]

You have my deepest sympathy.

I have a similar dilema. Menu board with tons of mis-matched clipart all over it. I don't know what to do either....

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

I thought lawnmower at first too. What to do with it? hmmm, print 1000 copies of it on Avery 2 ply and roll it up and hang it next to the comode.

 

[Pat Whatley]

So let me see if I understand this OP. I'm dealing with a guy who already paid for artwork, and who is completely happy with his artwork, and who has already been told it's bad art and doesn't believe that. Somehow I'm supposed to get that guy to pony up a couple of hundred bucks for new artwork of a ridiculously bad concept? How exactly do I do that?

 

[The Vector Doctor]

If the customer was happy with this logo then he likely will be happy with most anything you provide. It obviously won't be a portfolio piece. My reply was a bit tongue in cheek but I cannot see why some cartoonish font (not comic sans) couldn't work well with this

Corny drawing yes but it is not hopeless

 

[SignManiac]

Tell him that since he is a long time friend/customer, you will use this logo but in all honesty it's not good and then explain to him why. It matters not that he likes it in this case, he's entitled to have poor design sensibilities, but it does make a difference in the way it will reflect on his company and first impressions.

He is either open to your honest opinion or not. Give it to him if he insist and don't include it in your portfolio, or do what I would do and politely decline taking his money. I can't tell you how many jobs I've walked away and never once have I regretted doing so.

 

[p3]

These people have the same concept, still corny, but not as bad!

http://www.geekonwheels.com/

 

[OldPaint]

iam with craig. YOU ARE HIS FRIEND.... i gather, from your description. presenting him with something 100% BETTER, just might make him understand your only looking out for HIS BEST INTEREST!!!!! if you can DESIGN SOMETHING BETTER.........DO IT. if not then have john d do something WONDERFUL..... that iam sure you will make up the money spent for it 10 TIMES..... when you show him what CAN BE...........rather then that CRAP he paid for.

 

[binki]

WHAT IN THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS?

Learn that you can do branding with no talent and still charge for it.

 

[iSign]

I'm with maniac on this... he can be forgiven for bad design ssense... but if he won't take your opinion, then you simply can't help him.. you and everyone here knows that horror show is NOT going to help him, so if he can't be made to see the light, then I seriously think you have it in his (& your) best interests to put your money where your mouth is & refuse to profit from this atrocity. The best time to abandon a bad idea is usually as soon as you realize it... and if he won't realize it today, it will be a more expensive mistake for every day that goes by... you know that.. we all know that... screw the $100 he wasted on it... what about the $100 jobs he could lose every week for the rest of his life... you simply can not in good conscious do signs with that abortion on them...

 

[S'N'S]

If he wont change his mind and definitely wants the laptop cartoon, how about having it point to his name.
Heres a ROUGH mod to his cartoon.

 

[Wraps ink]

I say you just design around it make him happy and move on its just a logo its not worth your time or money to figure out why he chose that certain logo, and talking bad about it to him will just insult him....just make it look the best you can and get paid...let him see what you can do ..you dont need to point it out to him

 

[visual800]

no doubt another computer commuter project and damned right when I thought they couldnt get any crappier looking! No reflection on your work but he needs to let you do what you want his ideas suck ass

 

[signmeup]

It's a lot better smiling.........and without wheels.

 

[SignManiac]

Point out to him that it's obviously a half assed rip off attempt from another company as P3 showed in the website he posted. His designer could not come up with something original on his own. Maybe the fact that his is not an original idea will encourage him to find something that is.