C’s leftmost element is a bit heavy and distracting.
Bottom decoration could join better with the letters.
It reminds of Chesterfield’s mark, and such an association could be wanted or not wanted.

Chesterfield the cigarettes?

Yes.

I see. I wasn't aware of that logo til you mentioned it. But that is fine with me.
Thank you for the suggestions, I am working on it further.

I know i have to work on the left side of the capital C that was in my first comment. the top flourish was well. but what about the actual individual letters?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/etahchen/6850003894/sizes/l/in/photostream/

The hardest part for me now is the flourishes at the bottom and top. What do you think of this layout?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/etahchen/7007691785/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/etahchen/7010118675/sizes/l/in/photostream/

I like the newest lowercase d/e better. I'm on the fence as to the starting C. I kind of liked the idea of a drop-cap-esque beginning--as if to say, "Check me out, this is important." I don't mean it actually has to be bigger, but more grand.

For the strokes I think the darkest one, top line in the middle.

It's actually a great improvement from the fist that you made. In making logos, there's a rule of thumb: Good typography is invisible typography. Make your brand stand out instead of the typography used in your logo.

@ilovedesign
that is a very interesting rule of thumb. but that seems to render my logo useless in a way,
because the motive was to make a logo that does stand out. i do understand what you're saying though.
Are you suggesting I don't try to make it too elaborate? And use that energy in the designing of the brand and identity instead?

i really like the logo, speaks to me about intimacy over a cigarette, really nice name too.

agree with evan and middle/top is the best for the strokes, but right/top is also really nice, they look the most like trails of smoke, which I find a nice way of suggesting what the brand is about in a subtle way..

good work!

chillyphilli

also i don't agree with ilovedesign, at least not as much as i agree with your username!

in my view a wordmark, a purely typographic treatment of a logo, by definition needs to be obtrusive and needs to grab attention, otherwise you might as well have nothing on the page.

.

MADE IN HELL

Haha

not sure if the teacher will like that (made in hell)

The mock-up cases look a bit stripped and bare. That might be the point, but even so, to me it looks like they "lack" visual elements or refinement. Is the "Let'em Burn!" slogan on the mock-up backside supposed to be off center? If so, why?
I personally like the "MADE IN HELL". It is a concept and you can be self-ironic. Pushing it one step further would be to take the essece of that slogan and bring it to a level that actually could be on a real product with a young non-mainstreamish target group. Something like "The stuff from hell, made in San Diego" (just a clumsy example of what I mean).

Overall, I like how you developed the blackletter script from your initial post. Maybe you could pick up the diagonal energy and intensity of the font in some way, or highlight the contrast to the more reserved serif even more clearly? The "Let'em Burn!" slogan stands out from the overall concept as an isolated element.

@Kontur
Thanks for the critique. I will post more. I'm working on it further.

@etahchen: Out of curiosity, has there been any discourse about design and ethics as this project unfolds?

> has there been any discourse about design and ethics

Not sure specifically what you're referring to, Christopher, but it brings to mind two events in my past related to design and cigarettes.

First, when I was a college student we had a guest speaker who worked for Phillip Morris' ad agency (the Marlboro account, I think). He talked about designing cigarette packaging, advertising, and signage. He got a very hostile reception from many of the design students, much to the embarrassment of the professor who had invited him.

Second, the only design job I've ever turned down for ethical reasons was when I was asked to design a cigarette-related brochure.

Don't get me wrong, I've got no problem with adults smoking if they choose to, and I occasionally smoke a cigar on special occasions. But I wouldn't feel comfortable promoting them.

Christopher, James, this is supposed to be for clove cigarettes.

@Christopher
No there hasn't. But i'd understand if someone were to get upset about this project.
I know that this is promoting non-conventional themes. (smoking, hell)....
My professor hasn't said anything so far, neither has my classmates.

@JamesM
"He got a very hostile reception from many of the design students"
I feel that many designers and design students feel that they're on some sort of moral high-ground. They're the good guys that have to change the world. "oh we can't promote smoking, its bad, we have to stay healthy and influence others to as well. we're so good." and so on. The students giving the speaker a hostile reaction might have just been a way to make themselves feel righteous. It would have been smarter to just listen and learn something from that individual.

So what about SUV ads?

hhp

> Christopher, James, this is supposed to be for clove cigarettes.

I've read that clove cigarettes typically contain 60-80% tobacco.

> i'd understand if someone were to get upset about this project.

Etahchen, I wasn't criticizing you personally and your project doesn't upset me. It's an interesting project and I wish you good luck with it. I was just mentioning 2 related incidents in my past since Christopher brought up the general subject.

But of course this is a subject that many designers face occasionally. Do you accept a design job for a company that makes a controversial product, or for a company that has taken actions that you disagree with? And if you do accept the job, are you willing to put up with any criticism you might get for working for them? (For example, one of my clients is a large corporation and I once had a friend criticize me for working for them.) These are real-world situations that designers face sometimes.

I've read that clove cigarettes typically contain 60-80% tobacco.

My bad, I thought they were the nicotine-free kind.
And I agree on the need for an ethical approach to design.

@James.
Oh no, i'm sorry if I sound like I was being defensive. I know you're not being negative.
I just wanted to say that little bit, but not referring to you specifically.