Shepard Fairey Revamps “Rolling Stones” Logo
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That infamous red “rock’n'roll” mouth that symbolizes iconic band the Rolling Stones got a facelift this week. Mick Jagger himself had the old mouth injected with a modern look by street art superstar and President Obama advertising extraordinaire, Shepard Fairey, to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary. Staying true to the classic look but adding his uncanny style, Fairey made the logo more bad-ass than ever.
What isn’t Fairey involved in lately? From producing the visuals behind Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s fall tour, episodes of The Simpsons, and participating in DIY urban art parties, the artist must never sleep. You’d think after an impressive resume that includes those Obama “HOPE” posters, nothing would intimidate Fairey, but the artist confessed to Rolling Stone that he found the whole thing extraordinarily daunting.
“When Mick Jagger reached out to me about designing a logo to mark the Rolling Stones’ 50th anniversary, I was quite overwhelmed,” Fairy said. “I was very humbled and honored to be asked to work on the 50th logo, so my objective was to service and showcase the Stones’ legacy rather than try to make my contribution dominant.”
The original design was crafted by John Pasche and was first used on the band’s 1971 Sticky Fingers album sleeve. ”The design concept for the tongue was to represent the band’s anti-authoritarian attitude, Mick’s mouth, and the obvious sexual connotations,” Pasche told Rolling Stone. “I designed it in such a way that it was easily reproduced and in a style I thought could stand the test of time.”
Like the band, the Rolling Stones’ logo is timeless. Pasche created the original logo, and Fairey’s small update remained loyal to the image — and the band — that we’ve loved since 1962.
