TSR paid $1,000,000 for the Dragonlance logo? (New: Response from the authors)

[Eosin the Red]

I would think that in the early 80's $100,000 would have been considered very expensive. I don't think weird logo stuff started really hitting its "what were they smoking" phase until the mid-ninetys and the dot.com craze. I did some logo work for a bank in 95 and called their logo a "clover thingy" which seemed to upset the project manager; it seems they had spent $250,000 getting a professional firm to design it.... That seemed pretty outrageous even then.

Still, stranger things have happened.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I can easily see how the value and goodwill associated with the logo - after a considerable success in the marketplace - could be valued at $1,000,000.00. But that speaks to a very different point.

 

[DaveMage]

I'm thinking the decimal is in the wrong place.

Maybe $10,000.00.

 

[DaveMage]

Even so, one million dollars?

Cheers!

Actually, it does seem plausible if we say it using our "Dr. Evil" voice...

 

[Umbran]

Let us recall as we look upon this that Noble Knight is trying to sell something. That makes their reportage somewhat suspect.

Perhaps that advertising company was paid a million dollars, but it was for a lot more than just the logo, hm?

 

[wedgeski]

Not a chance in Hades that the $1m figure is authentic. Hell I can't even believe the logos are professionally produced, they're so attrocious.

 

[Arravis]

Good to see so many responses.
Personally, I don't think they paid 1 mil for the logo. They may have paid a mil for the entire Dragonlance corporate identity, but not for the logo alone. Perhaps that was going to be the charged amount if they used the ID, but chose not to use it because of the money, and the fact that it's a steaming pile of design.

I think, the main problem I have with it, is not the fact that someone would charge such an outrageous amount, but that it's so incredibly bad. I can't believe an ad agency would have ever let such an atrocious monster out their door!

 

[lukelightning]

Maybe they weren't paid in dollars...but in gp.

"Hey dudes, if you make this logo for me I'll give your D&D party one million gold pieces."

"Deal!"

("Ha ha, suckers! Don't they know in Dragonlance steel is worth more than gold?")

 

[Arravis]

I've emailed both Margaret Weis and Tracky Hickman, let's hope they'll be able to shed some light on this mystery. If not, perhaps they can point me in the direction of the right person to ask . I didn't want to email the artists directly, since we don't know who exactly designed the final logo.

 

[danbuter]

Well, if it's true, I can see why TSR went out of business.