Logo on Lotus

Introduction

This article came about as a result of the editor starting to make a drawings of the Lotus 107 & 107B.

The editor was hit by the number of opportunities it presented.

Amongst these were:-

  • Drawing skills
  • Understanding marketing , branding etc.
  • Graphic art
  • Communication
  • Sponsorship commercial dimensions etc.
  • Sculpture, form and functions
  • Automobile body shapes
  • Identification and differentiation

Lotus has presented some of the most memorable of liveries.

This article therefore combines an appreciation of Lotus sponsor art, the commercial dimension of representation with practical skills in drawing and graphic display/communication.

Here we concentrate on bringing these sponsors and liveries together for comparison and benchmarking. This article is inseparable from the holistic fundamental integration of: –

  • Representing sponsor livery in best manner possible for commercial advantage
  • Producing winning cars that obtain the publicity and reward to sponsor /return on investment
  • The aesthetic of relating body form, sculpture and graphic representation
  • Achieving significant differentiation in a crowd situation

The skills base is of interest to a wide professional base in the creative media.

Figure 1editors initial sketch, Lotus 107

Subscribers might like to see the directly relevant and integrated A&R pieces that complement and help structure this article: –

  • Individual Brands, Sponsors, Specialists [ A-Z listing]
  • Product Placement
  • Team Lotus Gold Leaf and John Players Special
  • Individual Lotus types that wore specific sponsor logo’s

The Lotus Sponsor Liveries

The following traces the evolution of Lotus logo representation from the era when national colours were used for identification through to the Lotus 107&107B.

We treat this visually and subscribers are directed to our dedicated specific articles that explain in detail the rationale and representation of sponsors notably Gold Leaf and John Players Special.

Figure 2. National colours, Lotus 16

Figure 3.Lotus 72; Gold Leaf

Figure 4. Lotus 56, Indianapolis , STP

Figure 5. Lotus 78; John Players Special

Figure 6. Lotus 88, Essex, Courage

Figure 7. Lotus 97 T, JPS, Olympus

Figure 8. Lotus 99T; Camel

Figure 9. Lotus 107 Castrol and others

Figure 10. Lotus 107B, Castrol Loctite etc.

Learning Opportunities

Our learning /educational opportunities are intended to be challenging thought provoking and requiring additional research and/or analysis.

These opportunities are particularly designed for a museum/education centre location where visitors would be able to enjoy access to all the structured resources available in conjunction with any concurrent exhibition.

In this instance we suggest the following might be appropriate:-

1. Practical

  • Practice drawing fonts and logo as represented on round , curved or contoured surface [possibly using example provided below]
  • Using template provided draw in full set of logos for Lotus107B or suggest alternatives

Figure 11and 12 noting impact of type on rounded surface [ suitable subject for sketching exercise]

Figure 12

Figure 13. Demonstration of how flat surfaces alter when wrapped over curved forms

Figure 14.Household brands to study. Branding on curved, rounded surface

Figure 15.template for learning exercise

2. Commercial Consideration

  • Study F1 marques evolution of sponsor presentation
  • Which Lotus sponsor has been the most memorable and why?
  • Select your favourite F1 marque/logo and draw
  • What opportunities and links exit between sponsor logos and merchandising?
  • What merchandise opportunities are present at the main marques museums? E.g. Ferrari

Exhibitions, Education, Economics and Entertainment

In the museum context the editors believe that commercial considerations are both necessary and complementary with its educational objectives.

For these reasons our suggested outline Business Plan includes provision for promoting products and services which share Chapman’s ideals of mechanical efficiency and sustainability. In addition we propose merchandising that explain and interprets the social and cultural context of Chapman’s designs in period. It’s suggested there will be catalogue for on line purchasing.

In this instance we suggest the following might be appropriate:-

  • Lotus: Colour and Contour
  • Lotus: Colour Cconsciousness
  • Lotus Logo Livery and Delivery
  • Side lined
  • Brand on the Run
  • Brand Aid
  • Lotus: Livery keeping good Company
  • Primary colour and Prime time
  • Lotus: Colour Coded
  • Articulated Animated Advertising
  • Paint my Wagon
  • Fonts in F1
  • Message on a body
  • Mobile Messaging
  • The Colour of Money
  • Body shop
  • Lotus: Body Language
  • Getting your message across; across the line

Conclusion

Lotus have worn some of the most aesthetic liveries adopted in F1 racing.

JPS being possibly the most memorable and internationally accepted as possibly one of the greatest ever.

This was powerful ,assertive,heraldic,traditional , quality, elegant and indelibly memorable.

It could be argued it symbolised and expressed everything its sponsor felt about their products/service/company and wished to communicate to their customers and viewers /followers of F1.

It stole a march on its rivals, achieving possibly disproportionate coverage. Lotus winning providing the additional reinforcement and beneficial spiral of publicity.

JPS were able to use this factor to further and extend sales through additional merchandising sales and display.

Livery design can be considered a minor art form in its own right as an extension of advertising, poster graphic and trade mark representation.

The international audience reached make it imperative it grabs attention and is understood without interpretation.

The engineer/draughtsman and indeed the marketing professionals from the host who are responsible for livery/sponsor/logo design must therefore comprehend and conceptualise how the imagery is to be presented. Some of the skills associated with realisation include :-

  • The holistic integration of the totality of package –car, sponsor and related hierarchies
  • The sympathetic representation of sponsor logo with modeling and sculpture of body form, use livery to accentuate body form and sponsor image to advantage.
  • To ability to ensure the imagery is both comprehensible at standstill and at speed as viewed by the majority on screen and that the image can be grasped and perceived clearly
  • An understanding of colour, shape and form and how these interact
  • The ability to achieve differentiation as in distinction from others
  • To means to secure memorability and registration in manner that retina and brain receives, perceives retains registers and accords indelibility to image
  • A subtlety and wide cultural awareness in order to avoid accidental offence when subject to worldwide exposure and multi-cultural participation

It’s evident that such skills require a highly developed aesthetic sensitivity but also the eye and hand of the artist, sculptor, potter to appreciate all the nuances, plasticity of shape and form.

We hope to have helped designers and those in marketing acting for sponsors to appreciate the opportunities and how these might be extracted along with increasing their reach and market penetration through F1.

To these ends we have provided examples of Lotus [ some if not the best ever recorded in F1]. In addition, we have offered drawing exercises that we hope will increase dexterity and mental /conceptual juggling necessary for 3D representation of sponsor livery on complex F1 body contouring.

Lotus delivered some of the best results aesthetically, commercially and competitively. We hope that they will provide inspiration to designers and help them in summary to achieve: –

  • A livery that is the most aesthetic on the grid
  • One that grants disproportionate returns to the sponsor through publicity and photo opportunity
  • To be memorable, legendary and indelible [ ideally to extent it can never be copied]
  • Deny opposition publicity due to superior over inferior less attractive eye-catching representation

Reference:

History of the Grand Prix Car.Nye.Hazelton.1992

ISBN: 0905138945

Art of the F1 Race Car

Wiki F1 Liveries

Please note the editors of the A&R attempt to give the broadest spectrum of references but not all are available for consultation in an article. However by noting their existence it may assist students in their research.

*Items in italics non A&R library books.