North Carolina lottery officials unveiled the logo Tuesday they wanted to print on thousands of ticket machines and place in television commercials leading up to the lottery's planned March 30 launch.
Make that the now-defunct logo. Officials later found out someone else might have the copyright to the image.
N.C. Education Lottery director Tom Shaheen revealed the logo at a public meeting of his bosses, the nine-member lottery commission. Shaheen, who has worked for lotteries in several states, said the fireworks-and-stars logo promotes the lottery as fun, festive and for education.
Later in the day, lottery officials declined to give reporters copies of the image, saying they were still checking out some legal issues. Then they started calling television stations, telling them not to air it.
"Our legal folks say we don't have copyright clearance," lottery spokeswoman Pam Walker said Tuesday evening, indicating the lottery would have a new logo quickly. "Graphics artists are working on it as we speak."
The now-discarded logo didn't seem to get the ovation Shaheen wanted anyway. There was far more chuckling than clapping among those at the meeting.
"I thought it looked like a palm tree myself," joked lottery commission chairman Charles Sanders.
Also during the meeting, commissioners chose a Raleigh advertising company over two Charlotte firms to receive lucrative three-year deal to promote the lottery.
The commission unanimously voted to give Howard Merrell & Partners a contract worth $8 million during the lottery's first year and as much as $12 million during the second and third years.
Howard Merrell will earn an amount equal to 11 percent of the ad budget during the first year, or $880,000 if the lottery spends the $8 million it has budgeted. In the second and third years, the company would get 10.5 percent of an estimated $12 million ad purchase.
The company beat out Wray Ward Laseter and Douglas Displays of Charlotte and Mullen of Winston-Salem.
These guys just seem to keep dropping the ball on everything. I thought Shaheen was the "Lottery God"? He seems to be an overpaid windbag in my opinion.
These guys just seem to keep dropping the ball on everything. I thought Shaheen was the "Lottery God"? He seems to be an overpaid windbag in my opinion.
What Tom Sheehan need to do is keep the media guys out of their meetings and
talk on a need to know basis, especially since that lawsuit is happening.
Somebody on his staff is talking too much.
Once on my job there was going to be a layout.
A group of non-management staff went to the local bar,
got drunk and talked about the people who were being laid off.
They wasn't even suppose to know about it.
We all knew about it the next morning.
My point is:
That first article about a logo being on a napkin should not have been printed. It's nickpicking.
How did the media get privy to that information? It had to come from staff.
Tom Sheehan will learn. NC people are "clanish", telling one person is like telling three.
And when you think they are stupid they are actually backbiting.
Smiling and being nice to you while they are doing it.
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
Todd
That is the problem I have with the whole operation. It seems like a Mickey Mouse/Disney-like judgement is being used when what they really need is ABC-like judgement.
Sounds like they could have sent it to my 5-year-old son's kindergarten class and they could have put together as equally impressive a logo than what these Stooges have done thus far.
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
These guys just seem to keep dropping the ball on everything. I thought Shaheen was the "Lottery God"? He seems to be an overpaid windbag in my opinion.
These guys just seem to keep dropping the ball on everything. I thought Shaheen was the "Lottery God"? He seems to be an overpaid windbag in my opinion.
What Tom Sheehan need to do is keep the media guys out of their meetings and
talk on a need to know basis, especially since that lawsuit is happening.
Somebody on his staff is talking too much.
Once on my job there was going to be a layout.
A group of non-management staff went to the local bar,
got drunk and talked about the people who were being laid off.
They wasn't even suppose to know about it.
We all knew about it the next morning.
My point is:
That first article about a logo being on a napkin should not have been printed. It's nickpicking.
How did the media get privy to that information? It had to come from staff.
Tom Sheehan will learn. NC people are "clanish", telling one person is like telling three.
And when you think they are stupid they are actually backbiting.
Smiling and being nice to you while they are doing it.
He better wise up.
Yeah, he is turning out to be a real buffoon.
Tenaj:
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
Tenaj:
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
Todd
That is the problem I have with the whole operation. It seems like a Mickey Mouse/Disney-like judgement is being used when what they really need is ABC-like judgement.
Does anyone have pics of the logos in question?
Bingo - I haven't seen them yet...I am trying to track them down.
They have asked all the local media to retract the logo image, and not print it. So, far, I have only seen the bottom of the logo (the text).
Does the term Professionals come to mind? Probably not.
Chewie
Sounds like they could have sent it to my 5-year-old son's kindergarten class and they could have put together as equally impressive a logo than what these Stooges have done thus far.
Here is what the NC lottery's new logo should be:
THE NC LOTTERY
WE's STUPIDER THAN A BAG OF ROCKS HEAR AT THE LOTTERY COMMISHUN, BUT WE BE HAVIN THIS STATE A GAMBLIN REEL SUUN.
Tenaj:
The North Carolina media has been kind to the lottery compared to what the Tennessee media did to their lottery when they started up. It's a very important issue, and it should be covered with scrutiny.
For a lottery director who is supposed to have so much depth, he is making some J.V. errors.
What are "JV errors"?
I believe it stands for "Junior Varsity",implying beginners errors.
Look at the NC logo, and compare it to the Lottery Tennessee one. Doesn't the font look the same?