A modern W set against a variety of background colours is the new logo for the borough of Wandsworth.

After 44 years in opposition, Labour gained overall control of Wandsworth Council in the May 2022 local elections. The Labour administration would argue that much has changed in the last two and a half years, following decades of Conservative leadership. A key focus has been the provision of social housing, alongside reorganising and improving refuse collection, including the introduction of food waste collection.

Change can also be reinforced through a distinct visual identity, and a significant opportunity emerged when Wandsworth was named the Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture for 2025.

With the publicity surrounding the 12 month event, it was an ideal moment to introduce a new branding. The Council’s decision paper said:

“As creating a lasting legacy is a key outcome for Borough of Culture and as Wandsworth is changing, it was identified as a key moment in time to review and refresh the Council’s brand in a way that continues to reinforce the positivity and modernity of the LBOC identity.”

The re-branding was decided in November 2024 and developed by Grandad Digital Limited. The external agency explained:

“The challenge was to create a brand identity that would truly mirror their vibrant and diverse community while nurturing unity and pride across all neighbourhoods.
Through sharp, disruptive design elements, we incorporated unexpected blips and patterns that create a sense of excitement and momentum. The selection of a striking, geometric typeface perfectly complemented this energetic design, embodying the personality and power that defines Wandsworth.”

The simplistic and versatile design, with a choice of colourful backgrounds, allows for adaptable layouts based on usage. There is a suite of four brand colours that are being used.

As it’s often the case for many changes, early reactions have been mixed. Many praise the design, noting how the shape of the borough subtly echoes the stylised “W” in the logo.

Others are less enthusiastic. On Reddit forum, one user commented:

“I’m very slow to shit on anyone’s hard work and I’m wary that the people hiring the designer play a HUGE role in the outcome but this, presented as is, is bad”

“This new logo doesn’t tell much. It’s cold. But it’s more practical than the old one,” remarked Paule Gauer, who is a professional web designer and has made countless logos. The flat design (strictly two-dimensional) is still prevalent on the Internet as logos and websites focus on clean, uncluttered layouts.

The shift towards flat design (strictly two-dimensional) remains a strong trend online, as logos and websites increasingly favour clean, uncluttered layouts. However, branding is evolving into “Flat 2.0,” incorporating depth, gradients, and motion to enhance adaptability, minimalism, and interactivity in digital spaces.

The cost of producing the new brand, including design costs, was £13,824. A website Welcome to Wandsworth has been linked to this new logo as a platform to host the London Borough of Culture events.

The Council told us that key signage is being updated, and other replacements will happen incrementally as part of regular maintenance and renewals. “This ensures cost efficiency and careful consideration of budgetary constraints,” they said.

The Wandsworth logo and website design through recent history

For over two decades, Wandsworth Council’s identity was shaped by the blue and green logo featuring the slogan “The Brighter Borough“, introduced in 2000. This design highlighted key landmarks, including Battersea Power Station, one of the borough’s most recognisable structures. The choice of blue and green reflected Wandsworth’s connection to the River Thames and its numerous parks.

Fellowstudio has a great page commenting on the 32 boroughs in London. Each of them have their own unique identity, represented by a logo or emblem. Some of the comments are very descritpive such as “Featuring 4 intertwined circles and with a sans-serif typeface below” when describing the Bent’s logo, or “one of the best in the list at portraying authority and history. It uses their original crest and a thin serif font in all caps“, about Hillingdon and “The royal blue gives the impression of wealth and associates with royalty” for Kensington & Chelsea. Others could make you smile, such as “This logo is simple and direct, but does look a little bit like the recycling logo” when talking about Camden, or “The tree likely is to reflect the Ealing Common or Walpole Park…or their love of broccoli“, for Ealing.

They will now have to update the Wandsworth Logo as they referred to the old one chosen by the Conservatives. The old brand’s description says:

“[It] features some of its key landmarks in a skyline design. It uses a lot of dark blue and green writing to outline its slogan and name in a serif font. The design nicely outlines Battersea power station which is one of the most recognisable buildings in South West London.”

It was introduced with the trademark “100 years of service” and fireworks on a blue background.

This is only in April 2003 that the logo with fireworks and celebrating 100 years was replace by the one that we have been familiar with for the last 21 years. At the same time, the new slogan is revealed: “The Brighter Borough“.

In summer 2019, while keeping the same logo, they decided to modernise completely the website with a flat design and plain colours (although some parts of the website, especially the most important planning service have never been updated)

The logo was also mocked in the more recent years, as some local resident objecting to the massive property development authorised under the Tory administration, commented that the iconic tower station featured on the logo was no visible now as it was surrounded with the massive Nine Elms developments.

The old logo was occasionally mocked in recent years, with critics arguing that Battersea Power Station, once a prominent feature, was now obscured by the Nine Elms developments authorised by the Conservatives Council.

A parodic twitter account of Wandsworth Council even depicted a lorry carrying logs and felled trees, referencing local opposition to developments dubbed the “Tooting chainsaw massacre“.

On CJI, we also hijacked the logo in 2019 when we used it for an April’s fool joke and renamed it: “The Taller Borough“.

Controversial banners application on the Town Hall

As part of the Borough of Culture celebrations, the Council also submitted a very controversial application for large banners to advertise for the event to the front facade of the listed Town Hall buildings in Wandsworth Town (planning application 2024/4469).

Members of the Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee strongly opposed the move, calling it:

“An incompetent application. It leaves so many questions unanswered. It involves permanent damage to a listed building. Leave aside the design of the banner, we are looking at the possibility of banners in perpetuity on the building. We have no alternative other than to object”.

Following the backlash, the application has now been withdrawn.

Wandsworth’s Council’s 7 rings, 7 day guarantee

The rebranding gave also to the Council the opportunity to launch a communication offensive to present themselves as a listening council.

Their initiative, called “7 rings, 7 day guarantee“, launched on January 30, 2025, aims to enhance resident engagement and expedite street maintenance across the borough. I came as a response to the complaint of many residents telling them their frustration when they can’t get through to the Council to report their issue.

They pledge to repair graffiti, damaged street signs, or dangerous potholes within seven days of being reported. According to the Council, this commitment reflects their dedication to creating and maintaining high-quality public spaces, ensuring residents can take pride in their neighbourhoods.

Key Features:

• Prompt Communication: Residents can contact the council via the dedicated phone line at 020 8871 6000, where calls are answered within seven rings. Alternatively, emails can be sent to hello@wandsworth.gov.uk.
• Swift Repairs: Upon reporting issues such as graffiti, broken street signs, or dangerous potholes, the council commits to addressing and fixing these problems within seven days.
• Transparency: Starting February 7, 2025, a dashboard on the council’s website provides weekly updates on the success rate of this guarantee, along with monthly reports detailing actions taken to achieve a 100% success rate.

Additionally, the council now offers each household two free bulky waste collections per year. This idea was originally proposed by the community group CJAG during the 2022 local election as their idea was to mimic the service provided by the City of London on hazardous items (2 free collections per year). It complements the council’s commitment to providing weekly waste and recycling collections and expanding Mega Skip Days.