With some subtle refinements:

the new logos are pretty complex and have an air of being older than the originals (not necessarily a good thing)

my suggestion is to steer away from the literal key reference - or at the very least have EITHER the word or the icon not both, nor combined into one mark.

perhaps the skylines from the cities could make up the key teeth, or maybe the key mark is a generic (and simple) icon that will work well across most/any collateral.

I really reckon the whole key thing is naff. Maybe take a different spin on a key ... think maps, think map keys/legends, simplification of directions etc.

ideas anyway.

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Paul Ducco
Graphic Designer - Melbourne

Too complex? Would color help them to look more modern?

It’s funny you mention using the skyline as the teeth of the key, that’s how I arrived at these. The skyline was too much so the city name took the place of the skyline.

Maybe they are just too dark and need something to pull it all together, I’m working on some new ones. Thank you Paul for your feedback and great advice!

Any comments would be SO appreciated, thanks all!

I think the concept could probably work but I’m not digging either of the fonts you’ve used. That K is really overpowering the basic shape and the art-deco fonts make these look like they’re for retirement communities or something.

The typefaces do not go together. They’re far too decorative to be used together. The more simple the better in this case I think.

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I went back to the drawing board, and would like to submit another idea for critique.

I placed it on our development site so you could see it in context. Please let me know what you think and if you think I’ve made progress. I’m quite fond of this one so far. I would appreciate any feedback you could offer.

It’s not working.

When the first iteration isn’t working forget about visual effects and colours all together, because they just tend to distract you from the actual development process. You used three different fonts in just one logo. Needless to say they don’t complement each other.

I would concentrate on something simple. What is Savannah like? Try to incorporate that in your logo. Don’t use too many fonts. And don’t use colours at the beginning.
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Robert Koritnik

The original logo isn’t that bad...maybe you can just enhance it instead of reworking it from scratch.

But the logo isn’t always going to be for Savannah. The important part is the KEY TO.

This has to work for Key To Tybee as well, and any other Key To site we develop. So I can’t start with “what Savannah is like.” Right?

I keep hearing, start with something simple... is it just the fonts that are bad, or the whole entire concept?

I have to brand the KEY TO. Savannah is second to the KEY TO.

Any suggestions on where to go from here?

The original logo isn’t working for us now. It doesn’t translate well across media. I can’t help but feel it needs to change.

I’m going to go against the flow and state that the first round of revisions were quite good. The ’key’ element is there, but not overpowering. It’s a nice ’aha’ if you see it but doesn’t get in the way.

Yes, it’s a retro feel. I like that. It gives it some personality. Does it fit with the business needs? I don’t know. But if the places the web site is focusing on are somewhat historic “good old mainstreet” type venues, I think it’s quite appropriate.

I agree with aluminum. I like the retro feel. Maybe place with a few more fonts and sizing. I dig it man. I’d go more in this direction. good job.

Well in your logo, “Key to” doesn’t look like the primary part. Check logos, that have primary part and dynamic secondary part. So. I suggest you first design your “Key to” part, then you’ll work on incorporating other parts.

By simple I mean, no colours, one or MAYBE two fonts at most (in the whole logo, not in “Key to”), no visual effects etc. KISS principle.

Your logos so far were “Savannah”. KeyTo was just something that was added to it.

And when you’ll concentrate on the KeyTo part, don’t think of it as a key. Think of what the key represents? What it does. Get associations, that will lead you to some great clever solution. And think of the purpose of these kites/services...
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Robert Koritnik